Hanford reactor (white building in foreground) - Courtesy of the Department of Energy
September 1944
The first Hanford reactor goes critical.
Hanford Reactor Cutaway
Courtesy of the Department of Energy
Only hours after attaining full power, the first Hanford reactor shut itself down. Several hours later it came back to life only to shut down again twelve hours later. Princeton physicist John Wheeler and Fermi determined that unwanted fission byproducts were poisoning the reactor by absorbing neutrons. The reactors needed greater uranium capacity.
Fortunately, Wheeler had anticipated the problem and had advised the Dupont engineers to drill 504 additional uranium channels beyond the blueprints original 1500. This had delayed the reactor's construction and had added millions to the cost but now the additional channels saved the reactors. After connecting the additional channels to the water supply, the first two Hanford reactors began plutonium production in December.
Hanford reactor face - Courtesy of Robley Johnson
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