View of model. Digital image of B 20066.

Description View of model. Digital image of B 20066.

Date 13/9/1989

Catalogue Number SC 728458

Category On-line Digital Images

Copy of B 20066

Scope and Content Model of reactor, Hunterston 'A' Nuclear Power Station, North Ayrshire Hunterston 'A' nuclear power station, a magnox reactor (named after the magnesium alloy used to cover the fuel rods), was commissioned in 1955, designed 1955-7 and built 1957-64. It closed in 1990, and is being decommissioned, a process which may take up to 135 years. The reactors are housed in two glass-fronted structures with curving sides, and are surrounded by lower buildings housing further machinery and supplies. This model shows the internal structure of the reactor, with its uranium fuel rods (centre) within a 3m-thick concrete casing. Above them are the boron control rods which are raised or lowered to moderate the heat produced by nuclear fission. Fuel is removed or inserted by the charge machine on the floor below, where working conditions are cooler. The vast amounts of heat produced in the reactor are transferred to boilers (the metallic vessels on either side) which create steam to drive turbines, which turn generators producing electricity. This is then distributed to homes via the National Grid. Hunterston 'A' has been selected as one of Scotland's key 20th-century Modern architectural monuments. Source: RCAHMS contribution to SCRAN.

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/collection/728458

File Format (TIF) Tagged Image File Format bitmap