Model of Fuel Elements for the Obninsk APS-1 Reactor |
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| Although a couple of nuclear reactors in the United States had previously generated token amounts of electricity, the world's first nuclear power reactor was the APS-1 reactor in Obninsk which started operations in December 1954 (it shut down 48 years later)! The difference was that the APS-1 reactor was designed to produce electricity. | |
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The photo to the right shows a model that was presented to Dr. Alvin Weinberg of the fuel elements used in the APS-1 reactor . The 5 MW reactor employed graphite as the moderator and light water as the coolant. The model shows four annular fuel elements surrounding a central tube. The latter might have been used to accommodate a control rod. Coolant would flow through the channel in each fuel element.
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The text on the label reads: "The technological channel of the world's first nuclear power station t(own of) Obninsk-USSR 27 June 1954 y(ear)." I would like to thank Valerius Samoylenko for the translation. Donated by Dr. Alvin Weinberg |
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References: Alvin Weinberg. Personal communication. Jožef Stefan Institute, Jamova 39, SI-1001 Ljubljana, Slovenia. ICJT Training Center web site: http://www2.ijs.si/~icjt/plants/uni/a/uni304a.html |
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