- Title: SCOTLAND: DOUNERAY NUCLEAR POWER STATION.
- Date: 16th January 1959
- Summary: Reel I. 320 ft. Plus X. Exteriors scenes around Douneray. General view from above the Fast Fission Breeder Reactor. Board outside the Establishment - etc. Shot through rails of dome of Breeder Reactor, etc. Pan shot from the Fast fission Reactor to the Douneray Materials Testing Reactor, the D.M.T.R. Shots of the D.M.T.R. along pipelines. Shot of giant dome of Fast Fission Reactor. Seascapes - pan to the D.M.T.R. Seascapes from where the sea water is taken in for cooling - pan to dome of F.F.B.R. Rough seas, etc. Buildings where Fuel Elements are made and processed - men arriving, etc. REEL TWO. Tri-X. 400' THE FUEL ELEMENT FABRICATION PLANT. The D.M.T.R. Fuel Element Plant will supply fuel elements not only for the heavy water moderated test reactor at Douneray, but also for two similar reactors at HARWELL and for other reactors of this type both in this country and overseas. General view of the operating line where a number of operations take place with the operator protected through screens and where handling is done through these screens. Close shots of operator weighing a uranium alloy billet. After further stages the billet is placed in a furnace and heated to 950 C. Shots of man handling furnace. At a later stage the billet is rolled. The uranium is now clad in aluminium and the operators can work within the room. Next comes the Fuel Element Box assembly, where 10 of the plates are assembled separated by aluminium spacing pieces. Various angles on assembly with spacers and plates being checked. Lastly is the final assembly. Here we see the Tube Sub Assembly being fitted After the final assembly the complete Fuel Element is dipped into chemicals for cleaning. An element is seen being lowered into chemicals. REEL THREE. Tri-X. 400'. The finished Fuel Element is placed in a polythene bag and this is then inserted in a special aluminium transit container holding 10 elements for shipment to the reactors.This consignment is going to the "HIFAR" reactor is Sydney, AUSTRALIA. Next scenes are in the D.M.T.R. Chemical Separation Plant which receives a complete reactor charge of irradiated fuel elements in a shielded 'coffin' from the reactor. This 'coffin' containing 25 elements weighs approximately 20 tons. Further shots of 20 tons 'coffin' being manoeuvred into position for discharging the highly active fuel elements into the 'pond'. General shot from above the 'pond' into which the highly active fuel element has been discharged. It is then handled with long tongs below the water to be fed into a milling machine, below water, for separating the plates. Various angles on handling the fuel element and shots of the element below water. These plates are later dissolved in chemical and shots of the element below water. These plates are later dissolved in chemical processing to recover the URANYL NITRATE solution (Uranium Nitrate). REEL FOUR. Plus X. 120' Taking samples of the URANYL NITRATE. These samples are then taken to the Laboratories for analysis. Various angles on sampling. Initials See hand-out Section 4 - (b) for full details. Herewith full printed 'dope'. It has been requested by Mr. ALAN BRAY, P.R.O. at Douneray that we contact:- Mr. STANLEY WHITE, Chief Press Officer, U.K.A.E.A., II Charles II Street, London, S.W.I. Tel. WHItehall 6262 - ext. 331 for 'vetting this material and for assistance with commentary. See hand-out (d) for details. Neither the D.M.T.R. Fuel Element Plant nor the Materials Testing Reactor Chemical Plant have been filmed before for release to the Public. A 'coffin' is seen arriving in the Plant, and being lifted by special giant crane into the Pond area. Shot through window - protective window - from the control face looking into the working area. Shots in the control room of the Chemical Plant. Next into the working area, near the 'pond' where the giant 'coffin' of 20 tons weight is manoeuvred into position for discharging the fuel elements in to pond. Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 30th January 1959 12:00
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- Location: DOUNERAY, near THURSO, CAITHNESS, SCOTLAND
- City:
- Country: United Kingdom
- Reuters ID: LVAWDL94YI3N145BF7QPPVRM7EQ
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- Copyright Holder: REUTERS - SOURCE TO BE VERIFIED
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