Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1953-05-31
By Thomas R. Henry

This is the general conclusion
of reports submitted to the
Atomic Energy Commission by
eight major industrial concerns
whose engineers and economists
have carried out intensive stud
les of present and future posi-
bilities.
The commission today made
public information in the reports
which is not under secrecy wraps.
Power production and atomic
bomb production involve some of
the same processes, details of
which necessarily are restricted
during the present world Situa-
ton.
Now Shaping Legislation.
The reports have been studied
by commission experts and sent
to the Joint Committee on
Atomic Energy Of Congress with
various recommendation by the
commission itself. The Joint
Committee is getting to work on
legislation which might admit
private enterprise to the atomic
energy field, under careful re-
Striction.
There was general agreement
among the industrial experts
that the estimated cost of large
scale atomic energy installations
running as high as $118 mil
lion-Would hardly be justified
for private industry in the near
future unless:
/. Atomic fuel for the plants
were provided ready-to-use by
the Government.
2. In addition to producing
power, the plants in turn were
designed to produce the f1sSion-
able synthetic element, pluton-
ium-the explosive material Of
the atomic bomb-which the
Government would agree to pur-
chase at a guaranteed price for
q considerable period.
Might Reduce Costs.
Under these conditions it was
felt, the cost of atomic power
to industry might be brought
somewhere near that of power
produced by conventional meth
ors-especially if reactors Of
present designs could be made
more effective.
All the reports stressed the
enormous initial investments
required, especially in land. A
large isolation area is needed to
insure the population against
radiation injuries. The cost OF
such a tract-one recommended
ton calls for $4,000 acres
would be very great indeed if
located within economical power
transportation distance of the
city where the power would be
used.
Costwise, much depends on the
successful development Of
breeding" process by which the
Industrial atomic piles would
produce more fuel than they con-
sumo. Concurrently with creating
power, that is, they would trans
mute uranium 238, the ordinary
abundant variety which is nom
fashionable, into the fashionable
plutonium. The progress made so
far by Atomic Energy Commits
sion scientists in this breeding"
process is restricted information.
Heat Engine Design Sought.
Four reports were submitted by
selected companies, working in
pairs. Engineers of these COM
panies were cleared to receive
such classified information as
was essential.
All worked on the basic idea
OF some kind of heat engine in
which the enormous heat pro-
duced by uranium f1SSion is
picked up by some sort of cool
ant''-gas, heavy water or Ii
uuid metal-hoWing around or
through the pile. This heat is
taken outside the pile by the
coolant, where it is used to pro-
duce steam which in turn is used
to produce electricity.
First and most comprehensive
of the reports was that prepared
by engineers of the Common
wealth Edison Co. and the Public
Service Co. of Northern Illinois,
both primarily concerned with
power production in the Chicago
area. Two types Of power
producing reactor were consid-
cred in detail.
First is a helium- cooled graph
tie reactor designed to produce
$4,000 kilowattS of power. The
cost of such an installation Is
calculated at about $40 million.
It would consist of a core of pure
graphite in which would be in
serted uranium metal slugS en-
riched with the fashionable U-235.
The graphite core would be sur
rounded by a graphite reflector"
to turn back neutronS which es-
cape from the core. The whole
would be surrounded by a con-
crete shield eight feet thick to
restrain damaging radiation.
High Temperatures Involved.
The helium would circulate
around the core. It would en-
ter the reactor at a temperature
of $50 degrees fahrenheit and
come out at temperature Of
742 degrees. The heat picked up
would be available for steam
production. This design would
be quite similar to that of Atomic
Energy Commission piles at
Hanford, Wash, and Brook
haven, N. Y.
Engineers of the two compan-
les believe another type of re-
action would be more economi-
cally feasible. despite its enor-
mously greater cost. This would
be a heavy water cooled and
moderated reactor. This reactor
would be somewhat similar to a
design now in operation at the
CovroYo;ceioy,'c Ar0Onno TohOro