Chicago Pile-1

E14380

Chicago Pile-1 was the world’s first artificial nuclear reactor, achieving the first controlled, self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction in 1942 under the leadership of Enrico Fermi.


Statements (51)
Predicate Object
instanceOf historical experimental facility
nuclear reactor
research reactor
achieved first controlled self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction
associatedWith Enrico Fermi
Herbert L. Anderson
Leo Szilard
Samuel K. Allison
Walter Zinn
chiefDesigner Enrico Fermi
constructionMaterial graphite
uranium metal
uranium oxide
controlMechanism cadmium control rods
country United States
dateOfFirstCriticality 1942-12-02
decommissioned 1943
fuel uranium
fuelType natural uranium
fundedBy Manhattan Engineer District
United States Army Corps of Engineers
heritageStatus National Historic Landmark (site)
inception 1942
locatedAt University of Chicago
locatedIn Chicago
Illinois
locatedInBuilding Stagg Field
locatedInStructure squash court under the West Stands of Stagg Field
maximumPowerDuringOperation about 200 watts
memorial Henry Moore sculpture "Nuclear Energy"
memorialLocatedAt University of Chicago campus
moderator graphite
operator Metallurgical Laboratory
University of Chicago
partOf Manhattan Project
projectLeader Enrico Fermi
purpose demonstrate feasibility of a controlled nuclear chain reaction
provide data for reactor design
support development of nuclear weapons
reasonForDecommissioning safety concerns about operating in a densely populated area
relocatedTo Argonne site in Palos Park, Illinois
safetyFeature emergency safety control rod (ZIP rod)
squad of men with buckets of cadmium-salt solution
squad of men with buckets of indium-salt solution
squad of men with buckets of manganese-salt solution
shape roughly spherical pile
significance world’s first artificial nuclear reactor
structure stacked graphite blocks with uranium
successor Chicago Pile-2
supervisedBy Arthur H. Compton
thermalPower about 0.5 watts at first criticality


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