Organization:Neely Nuclear Research Center
| Neely Nuclear Research Center | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Former names | Neely Research Reactor Georgia Tech Research Reactor |
| General information | |
| Location | Atlanta, Georgia, USA |
| Address | 900 Atlantic Drive NW |
| Coordinates | [ ⚑ ] : 33°46′47″N 84°23′53″W / 33.779609°N 84.39815°W |
| Current tenants | Nuclear and Radiological Engineering Program Georgia Tech Research Institute |
| Completed | 1963 |
| Demolished | 2000 |
| Owner | Georgia Institute of Technology |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 1 |
The Frank H. Neely Nuclear Research Center, also known as the Neely Research Reactor and the Georgia Tech Research Reactor was a nuclear engineering research center on the Georgia Institute of Technology campus, which housed a 5 megawatt heavy water moderated and cooled research reactor from 1961 until 1995.[1] It was decommissioned in November 1999.[2] The building that housed the reactor was demolished to make way for the Marcus Nanotechnology Research Center.
The center is named for Frank H. Neely, a Georgia Tech graduate and businessman who organized the first Georgia Nuclear Advisory Commission, an essential step in the creation of the reactor and associated facilities.[3]
History
The center and associated reactor was built after campus president Blake R. Van Leer appointed a Nuclear Science Committee, which included Georgia Tech Research Institute director James E. Boyd.[4][5]
The committee recommended the creation of a Radioisotopes Laboratory Facility and a large research reactor. The laboratory was built and dedicated on January 7, 1959, and could receive, store, and process radioactive materials.[4] The research reactor would be completed in 1963.
The reactor was shut down in 1988 due to safety concerns,[6] and was defueled due to safety concerns related to the nearby 1996 Summer Olympics events.[4]
The reactor building was torn down after the decommissioning, with the remainder removed as of 2015.
References
- ↑ "History of the Georgia Tech Research Reactor". Georgia Institute of Technology. http://www.nremp.gatech.edu/files/ne50/presentations/02D2_NE50_Hertel.pdf.
- ↑ "Research Reactor Decommissioning". CH2M Hill. http://www.ch2m.com/corporate/markets/nuclear/assets/ProjectPortfolio/ResearchReactor.pdf.
- ↑ "Frank H. Neely Papers". Georgia Tech Library. http://www.library.gatech.edu/archives/finding-aids/display/xsl/MS088.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 "James E. Boyd". Georgia Institute of Technology. http://www.library.gatech.edu/archives/df/pdf/BOYDJAM.ESE.pdf.
- ↑ "History Makers". Georgia Tech Research Institute. http://www.gtri.gatech.edu/gtri75/history-makers.
- ↑ "Georgia Tech Closes Its Reactor, Citing Continued Safety Concerns". The New York Times. 1988-02-16. https://www.nytimes.com/1988/02/16/us/georgia-tech-closes-its-reactor-citing-continued-safety-concerns.html?pagewanted=1.
External links
- Georgia Tech Nuclear and Radiological Engineering Program
- Neely Nuclear Research Center on the Georgia Tech Campus Map
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