Development of Nuclear Power
Stagg Field, world's first nuclear reactor |
The American Nuclear effort was initiated by President Roosevelt
and was coded the Manhattan project. The world's first nuclear reactor
started in the University of Chicago. They had brought enough Uranium in
one spot under the University's stadium to start a chain reaction. This
was called the 'critical mass' where the mass was so large that neutrons
from atoms where guaranteed to hit other uranium atoms to keep the process
going.
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The 'critical mass'
of uranium was placed in a protected area and the scientists controlled
the reaction by placing bricks of graphite between the lumps of uranium.
To start and stop the reaction, rods of cadmium (which absorbed neutrons)
were placed among the bricks to stop the reaction and they were pulled
out again to begin the chain reaction.
By this time, President
Roosevelt had put nuclear research into the building of bombs. They were
designed in the desert of Los Alamos, New Mexico and were kept secret until
the time they were tested. In this period, World War II dragged on with
Japan. The United States joined with Germany and asked Japan to surrender,
they refused. With no result and desperate for Japan to surrender, the
United States dropped an atomic bomb on the city of Hiroshima in Japan.
The long term effects of radiation were still unknown and the Japanese
didn't realize how hard they had been hit. Despite the ruin Japan refused
to surrender and the United States dropped another bomb; on the city of
Nagasaki. Five days after this event Japan surrendered.
America had developed enough knowledge of nuclear power after World
War II. By 1954, the country was ready to begin its five year program to
make nuclear reactors. In 1958, one year earlier than planned, the first
full-scale nuclear reactor plant was build in Shippingport, Pennsylvania.
It was designed to be able to produce 60,000 kilowatts of electricity.
By 1966 built twenty more plants producing electricity were built.
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