SEFOR
SEFOR, an acronym for Southwest Experimental Fast Oxide Reactor, is a deactivated experimental research fast breeder reactor located in northwest Arkansas near Strickler.
The reactor began operations in 1969 and remained active until 1972. It was built to test various advanced nuclear reactor concepts then in vogue. This included the use of (Pu,U)O2 fuel in a breeder arrangement, a sodium-based cooling system, and new safety systems based on the thermal expansion of the fuel. The reactor was purely experimental, generating only 20 MW of thermal power, none of which was used for electrical generation. It was acquired by the University of Arkansas in 1975 and is still owned by the university today. SEFOR was designated a Nuclear Historic Landmark site in October 1986.
Reaction rates within a reactor are highly dependent on the geometry and density of the fuel. In SEFOR, the fuel bundles were allowed to expand and contract as they heated and cooled. In the case of an increasing reaction rate, the fuel bundle would expand, thereby lowering the fuel density and, in turn, the reaction rate. SEFOR was thus self-regulating. This design concept has since gone on to be a major part of the newer pebble bed reactor designs, which further separate the fuel into individual "pebbles".
SEFOR was built in Strickler, Arkansas because the area was sparsely populated and the valley site would be deeper than the estimated debris cloud that a possible accident would create. The population of Strickler was given pamphlets proclaiming the harmlessness of the SEFOR site making claims such as "You would get more radiation from the operation of your television set than if you lived next door to the SEFOR site!" and even "Nuclear plants do not pollute the air or water...". They were also encouraged to come and tour the facility for free.[1]
The reactor itself was privately operated by General Electric and funded by the United States government through the Southwest Atomic Energy Associates, a nonprofit consortium formed by 17 power companies and European nuclear agencies. Although it was billed as being "the western world's most significant nuclear power research project" with the mission of producing more usable nuclear fuel than it consumed, the technology that the reactor was testing was almost entirely rejected. A paper published by the Karlsruhe Nuclear Research Center (one of the project's sponsors) in 1973 stated that no one was able to make a completely satisfactory interpretation of the data collected at SEFOR.
The actual reason for the the reactor being shut down after such a short period is not publicly known. Officially, it is because the reactor was so successful that the project was finished in 1972, well ahead of the estimated 1977 completion date. The last quarterly report of the reactor has been released, and lists a myriad of system malfunctions that are described as significant. Malfunctions included everything from the lighting system, to power being cut by a storm, to the mass spectrometer being out of service on several occasions.
The site is contaminated with residual radiation, liquid sodium, lead, asbestos, mercury, and PCBs. The university wishes to clean up the site, but does not have the estimated $16 million it would cost to do so. Arkansas Senator Blanche Lincoln began trying to secure funds to clean up the site in 1999. In 2005 she introduced legislation to decommission and decontaminate SEFOR in the Energy Policy Act of 2005. Although the bill was approved and signed by President George W. Bush, money for cleaning up the site was not appropriated.
References
^ "Atomic Pork", Susan Porter and Frieda Thomas, Fayetteville Free Weekly, Dec 8-14, 2005. article online
External links
- Vekshin, Alison (January 26, 2005). "Lincoln revives SEFOR clean-up bill". Arkansas News Bureau.
- Branam, Chris (July 30, 2005). "Energy bill OKs plan to clean up UA reactor site". NWAnews.com.
- American Nuclear Society: Nuclear Historic Landmark Award recipients.