EXPERIMENTAL BREEDER REACTOR - I
EXPERIMENTAL BREEDER REACTOR - I
In the 1950's an attempt was
made to build atomic powered bombers that could remain aloft for extended periods, before
ballistic missiles were perfected. They were so big that they would have required a 10
mile runway (hence the eastern Idaho location). The pilots would have received a fairly
large dose of radiation, because good shielding would have been too heavy to fly, and
there were the obvious safety problems with airborne reactors.
In 1955, at this site in Idaho, the X-39 was run on a ground test stand in what was called the Heat Transfer Reactor Experiment No. l (HTRE-l). Engineers tested a complete aircraft power plant consisting of a reactor, a radiation shield, two X-39 engines, ducting, control parts and instrumentation; the whole assembly was called a core test facility because it was designed for the insertion of different reactor cores as they were developed. In January 1956, the engines were operated successfully but, because there had been no attempt to restrict the weight of the shielding, they would not have been flyable. Later in 1957, other cores that were tested, HTRE-2 and -3, did reduce the weight somewhat. The HTRE-3 assembly produced enough thrust to theoretically sustain a flight at 460 mph for about 30,000 miles. However radiation levels were still a problem; at one point in the tests, controls failed and released enough radioactivity to contaminate 1,500 acres.
The two X-39 atomic aircraft
engines are on display. EBR-I is the first atomic reactor to generate electricity.
The engines are on display next to EBR-1 and can be seen at anytime. EBR-1 was the first atomic reactor in the world to generate usable amounts of electricity. The historic accomplishment took place on December 20, 1951. Today, EBR-1 is a Registered National Historic Landmark, open daily to the general public from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day each year and by appointment the rest of the year. Hours of operation are 9am to 5pm. All tour members must be at least 16 years old and a U.S. citizen.
EBR-1 is located 18 miles
southeast of Arco, Idaho on highway 26, or 50 miles west of Idaho Falls on highway 20. The
facility is about 2 miles south of the highway. For more information call the Public
Affairs Office at (208) 526-0050 or (800) 708-2680 .
Some of the text on this page © 1995 by Vincent Cortright, and was contained within the
March, 1995 issue of Aviation History. All images this page © 1996 The Bureau of Atomic
Tourism.