History and Status of the EBR,

The feasibility of constructing a nuclear reactor operating in the fast neutron spectrum for the production of fissionable material and power has been under study at Chicago since 1945. It is hoped that such reactors can eventually be constructed to economically convert fertile material into fissionable material at a rate significantly greater than it will be consumed and simultaneously produce significant amounts of electrical power. The Argonne National Laboratory has built and has been operating since August, 1951, a 1,000 kw fast reactor known as the Experimental Breeder Reactor EBR. The machine was primarily designed to perform limited experiments using the smallest possible critical mass. Work on various types of fast breeders has been studied at KAPL, and Los Alamos is now operating a mercury cooled Pu fueled fast reactor. Brookhaven has been studying a lead cooled unit. This report will attempt review of the program and progress which has been made to date on the EBR.