Experimental Breeder Reactor I facts for kids
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Experimental Breeder Reactor No. 1
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Experimental Breeder Reactor Number 1 in Idaho, the first power reactor
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 Location in Idaho
Location in the United States
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| Location | Butte County, Idaho, US |
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| Nearest city | Arco, Idaho |
| Built | 1950 |
| Architect | Atomic Energy Commission |
| NRHP reference No. | 66000307 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | October 15, 1966 |
| Designated NHL | December 21, 1965 |
The Experimental Breeder Reactor I (EBR-I) is a special place in history. It's a former research reactor and a U.S. National Historic Landmark. You can find it in the desert, about 18 miles (29 km) southeast of Arco, Idaho.
EBR-I was the world's first breeder reactor. This means it could create more nuclear fuel than it used! On December 20, 1951, at 1:50 p.m., it became one of the first nuclear power plants to make electricity. It produced enough power to light up four 200-watt light bulbs. (Another reactor, the X-10 Graphite Reactor in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, had made electricity earlier, in 1948).
After this, EBR-I made enough electricity to power its own building. It was used for many experiments until it was shut down in 1964. Today, you can visit EBR-I as a museum from late May to early September.
Contents
Building the First Nuclear Reactor
Construction of EBR-I began in late 1949. It was part of the National Reactor Testing Station, which is now called the Idaho National Laboratory. A team led by Walter Zinn designed and built the reactor. They worked at the Argonne National Laboratory site in Idaho.
People sometimes called the reactor "Chicago Pile 4" (CP-4) or "Zinn's Infernal Pile." The reactor was installed in early 1951. It was the first reactor ever in Idaho! It started making power on August 24, 1951.
Making Electricity and Heat
On December 20, 1951, atomic energy was successfully used to make electricity at EBR-I. The very next day, the reactor made enough power to light up the entire building. The power plant produced 200 kilowatts (kW) of electricity. This came from 1.4 megawatts (MW) of heat that the reactor created.
The main goal of EBR-I was not just to make electricity. It was built to test a nuclear physics theory. This theory suggested that a breeder reactor could actually create more fuel than it used. In 1953, experiments proved this idea was true! The reactor was indeed making extra fuel during fission.
A Small Accident and Repairs
On November 29, 1955, the reactor at EBR-I had a partial nuclear meltdown. This happened during a test to see how the coolant flowed. Scientists were trying to understand why the reactor reacted strangely to changes in the coolant flow.
After the accident, the reactor was repaired. More experiments showed that the problem was caused by the fuel rods and the thick plates holding them expanding when they got hot.
Powering a City with Nuclear Energy
Even though EBR-I made the first electricity for its own building, another experimental reactor did something even bigger. This reactor was called BORAX-III. It was also designed and built by Argonne National Laboratory.
In 1955, BORAX-III was connected to outside power lines. It powered the nearby city of Arco, Idaho. This was the first time a city had ever been powered only by nuclear energy!
EBR-I's Amazing Achievements
Besides making the world's first electricity from atomic energy, EBR-I achieved other "firsts." It was the world's first breeder reactor. It was also the first reactor to use plutonium as fuel to make electricity.
EBR-I's main purpose was to prove Enrico Fermi's idea of "fuel breeding." This idea showed that a nuclear reactor could produce more fuel atoms than it used up. EBR-I successfully proved this important principle while also generating electricity.
How EBR-I Was Designed
EBR-I used uranium metal as its fuel. It also used a special liquid metal called NaK (a mix of sodium and potassium) to cool the reactor. This design was similar to the Dounreay Fast Reactor, which started operating in 1959.
EBR-I's Legacy
Argonne National Laboratory shut down EBR-I in 1964. A new reactor, the Experimental Breeder Reactor II, replaced it.
EBR-I was recognized as a National Historic Landmark in 1965. A special ceremony was held on August 25, 1966. President Lyndon B. Johnson and Glenn T. Seaborg were there to celebrate its importance. In 2004, it was also named an IEEE Milestone for its engineering achievements.
Gallery
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Plaques at the EBR-I site
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Assembly of the EBR-1 core in 1951
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The first production of usable nuclear electricity occurred on December 20, 1951, when four light bulbs were lit with electricity generated from the EBR-1 reactor.
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The reactor is in the building at center; the two structures lower left are reactors from the Aircraft Nuclear Propulsion Project.
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View of EBR-1, from the parking lot
See also
In Spanish: Experimental Breeder Reactor I EBR-I para niños
