Neely Nuclear Research Center
Encyclopedia
The Frank H. Neely Nuclear Research Center, also known as the Neely Research Reactor and the Georgia Tech Research Reactor is a nuclear engineering
research center on the Georgia Institute of Technology
campus, which had a live, 5 megawatt heavy-water-cooled research reactor
from 1961 until 1996. It was decommissioned
in November 1999. 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 that organized the first Georgia Nuclear Advisory Commission, an essential step in the creation of the reactor and associated facilities.
appointed a Nuclear Science Committee, which included Georgia Tech Research Institute
director James E. Boyd
.
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. The research reactor would be completed in 1963.
The reactor was shut down in 1988 due to safety concerns, and was defueled due to safety concerns related to the nearby 1996 Summer Olympics
events.
Nuclear engineering
Nuclear engineering is the branch of engineering concerned with the application of the breakdown as well as the fusion of atomic nuclei and/or the application of other sub-atomic physics, based on the principles of nuclear physics...
research center on the Georgia Institute of Technology
Georgia Institute of Technology
The Georgia Institute of Technology is a public research university in Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States...
campus, which had a live, 5 megawatt heavy-water-cooled research reactor
Research reactor
Research reactors are nuclear reactors that serve primarily as a neutron source. They are also called non-power reactors, in contrast to power reactors that are used for electricity production, heat generation, or maritime propulsion.-Purpose:...
from 1961 until 1996. It was decommissioned
Nuclear decommissioning
Nuclear decommissioning is the dismantling of a nuclear power plant and decontamination of the site to a state no longer requiring protection from radiation for the general public...
in November 1999. 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 that organized the first Georgia Nuclear Advisory Commission, an essential step in the creation of the reactor and associated facilities.
History
The center and associated reactor was built after campus president Blake R. Van LeerBlake Ragsdale Van Leer
Blake Ragsdale Van Leer was the fifth president of Georgia Institute of Technology from 1944 until his death.-Early life and education:...
appointed a Nuclear Science Committee, which included Georgia Tech Research Institute
Georgia Tech Research Institute
The Georgia Tech Research Institute is the nonprofit applied research arm of the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, Georgia, United States...
director James E. Boyd
James E. Boyd (scientist)
James Emory "Jim" Boyd was an American physicist, mathematician, and academic administrator. He was director of the Georgia Tech Research Institute from 1957 to 1961, president of West Georgia College from 1961 to 1971, and acting president of the Georgia Institute of Technology from 1971 to...
.
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. The research reactor would be completed in 1963.
The reactor was shut down in 1988 due to safety concerns, and was defueled due to safety concerns related to the nearby 1996 Summer Olympics
1996 Summer Olympics
The 1996 Summer Olympics of Atlanta, officially known as the Games of the XXVI Olympiad and unofficially known as the Centennial Olympics, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1996 in Atlanta, Georgia, United States....
events.
External links
- Georgia Tech Nuclear and Radiological Engineering Program
- Neely Nuclear Research Center on the Georgia Tech Campus Map