This color film likely dating to the late 1950s, “Power and Promise-The Story of Shippingport” shows the development of Pennsylvania's Shippingport Atomic Energy Plant from the groundbreaking ceremonies on Labor Day 1954, when President Eisenhower waved an electronic wand in Denver to trigger a power shovel into operation at the site to dedication of the plant by the President. In addition to the construction problems, the film details the complexities of building the nuclear reactor and moving it into place through the steel shell. The film celebrates the "Atoms for Peace" concept throughout.
Film opens, opening credits, animated segment (0:06). Map situating ‘Shippingport,’ Pennsylvania town on Ohio River (0:45). Various aerial view of the power plant (0:49). Places that use nuclear power: City lit up at night, industrial plant, kitchen in family home (1:11). Exterior of coal processing plant, animated segment showing how fossil fuel industry produces energy in furnaces (1:24). Sign for AEC Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory, shots around facility, scientists going over plans and designs (2:33). Story of USS Nautilus (SSN-571), starting point for development of reactor for Shippingport (PWR) (2:55). Pittsburgh City skyline, Fort Pitt Bridge (3:20). Shot of President Eisenhower (1954) inaugurating Shippingport Atomic Power Plant by waving radioactive wand in a Denver television studio (3:41). Bulldozers, other large vehicles help with clearing site and building the new power plant (3:49). Animated segment explaining nucleonics (4:35). Scientists use IBM 704, other early IBM mainframe computers for calculations and collecting data (5:00). Tests conducted to see how radiation affects metals, use of new technology and machinery (5:13). Tests conducted in complex testing stands (5:53). Scientists test new design features on full scale reactor mockup; Animated segment explaining “seed and blanket reactor,” design to be used for Shippingport reactor model as “new furnace for the atomic age” (6:07). Switch back to live action, close-up of one blanket-fuel assembly from reactor; Process of producing blanket-fuel assembly (8:48): Close-up highly refined natural uranium oxide powder stored in canister; Process of binding powder together in industrial mixers and binders, fed to stamping press to form into pellets for reactors, further fired to increase their density (9:11). Processing and production of zirconium metal tubes to hold pellets (9:46). Quality control and checking of tubes (11:50). Zirconium caps made by automated machine, stamped with ID number, pellets assembled into tube (12:10). Tubes welded to tube sheets in special chamber using fusion welding in helium atmosphere, holes drilled, bundles checked (14:08). Producing the core seed (14:53): Uranium fuel in form of sheets and not pellets (15:00). Cross-section of core seed (15:50). Seed cluster (16:06). Close-up Shippingport reactor, location of core within reactor (16:35). Animated segment detailing water pump (17:13). Men meticulously assemble special pumps; Shot of interior of pump (17:40). Animated segment detailing stainless steel heat exchangers (18:28). Assembly of straight tube heat exchanger (18:45). U-Shape heat exchanger (19:07). 153-ton pressure vessel made to enclose the reactor core (19:23). Back at Shippingport, concrete poured at site for base of reactor; To safeguard against releasing radioactive material to atmosphere all components of plant are in four welded chambers/ steel tanks (20:03). Aerial view of plant under construction, getting sense of plant layout (21:07). Cranes carefully lower components of reactor through very small access openings of the plant chambers (21:30). Engineers build pipeline on site to provide water, pump house on water’s edge, waste disposal store tanks (22:23). Crane lowers pressure chamber (23:00). Skilled workers pass through chambers via air locked doors; Weld pipes and connect different parts (23:38). Final core assembly; Installation of instrumentation to record data (24:39). Fuel assemblies lowered into core cage; Finalized core transported and lowered into chamber, engineers in white uniforms observe, testing (25:29). Close-up labyrinth of pipes, electrical wires (26:58). Eisenhower televised broadcast remarks dedicating Shippingport (27:37). Reactor at Shippingport, animated segment showing “atoms working for peace” (28:14). Final shots tracing electrical cables sending energy to power city (28:53). Closing credits (29:16). Film ends (29:20).
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