Nuclear Reactor Program, Department of Nuclear Engineering

Main content starts:

History of the Nuclear Reactor Program

Starting in 1950 with the design and construction of the R-1 reactor, there have been a total of four nuclear reactors at NC State University located on three different sites. The R-1 was the first nuclear research reactor to be designed, built, and operated by an academic institution anywhere in the world. See the Nuclear Engineering site for a brief history of the department written by Raymond L. Murray, Professor Emeritus.

R-1 Reactor:

R-1 Reactor specifications, schematic, & cutaway view.

R-2 Reactor:

R-2 Reactor specifications, elevation view, & plan view.

• June 1955: Following the shutdown of the R-1 reactor, a new reactor vessel with a hemispherical bottom and safety envelope was constructed and inserted into the original R-1 shield. Like R-1, R-2 was a homogeneous uranyl sulphate fueled reactor.
• May 1957: Initial criticality of R-2. The maximum power level is 500 watts.
• December 1958: When the R-3 reactor design is conceived, the R-2 core is removed from the original bioshield, relocated to the Bureau of Mines Building on campus, and redesignated as reactor 'R-4'.

R-3 Reactor:

R-3 Reactor specifications, elevation view, & plan view.

• December 1958: Work is initiated to build a heterogeneous reactor utilizing MTR (Materials Test Reactor) plate-type fuel located in the
  
  modified R-1 shield structure. The shield structure is extended upward to accommodate a new water filled tank containing the reactor core. The reactor is moderated and cooled with light water, and surrounded with a graphite reflector.
• 1960: Initial criticality of R-3. The maximum power level is 10 kilowatts.
• 1973: The R-3 reactor is shutdown.
• 1980: The R-3 reactor is decommissioned.

R-4 Reactor:

R-4 Reactor specifications & cutaway view.

• December 1958: The R-2 core is removed from Burlington Lab, relocated to the Bureau of Mines Building on campus,
  
  and redesignated as reactor 'R-4'.
• April 1959: R-4 Reactor operational. The maximum power level is 100 watts.
• 1961: The R-4 reactor is shutdown.

PULSTAR Reactor:

PULSTAR Reactor specifications.

• June 1, 1969: Construction is started on the PULSTAR Reactor. The reactor is designed and built by American Machine and Foundry (AMF) Corp.
• 1972: PULSTAR Reactor construction completed with a total cost of ~$1.5 Million.
• September 9th, 1972 @ 1:52 AM: Initial Criticality of PULSTAR Reactor. Maximum licensed power is 1 Megawatt.
• As of August 12, 2010: Total power generated by PULSTAR is 29,610 MW-hrs.

Historical Pictures

Additional historical information about nuclear reactors and engineering at NC State University:

• "The First Temple of the Atom"
• The First Temple of the Atom - supporting documents archive; Special Collections, NC State Library
• NC State University Library - historical reactor photo collections