AnnouncementsMemorial DayThe Special Collections Public Services Desk will be open by appointment only on Monday, May 27, 2013, in observance of Memorial Day. Please order materials by 5pm on Wednesday, May 22, 2013, to ensure delivery prior to the holiday. The Special Collections Public Services Desk will resume normal hours on Tuesday, May 28, at 8am. If you have any questions, please contact, via email, Gwynn Thayer or Eli Brown. MC 00141 Guide to the A. C. Menius, Jr. Papers, 1946-1965The collection is divided into six series. The
Correspondence series primarily relates to the design and construction of the first and second nuclear reactors at North Carolina State
College. The
Nuclear Reactor Planning, Research, and Operational Materials series contains notes, calculations, reports, and procedures regarding the design and implementation of the nuclear reactors.
The
Drawings and Schematics series consists of several architectural and construction drawings of selected components of the two nuclear reactors. The
North Carolina State College (NCSC) Reports series contains reports written by senior members of the nuclear reactor team regarding its operation. The
Safety and Health Committee series documents the work of the committee concerned with safety and health issues regarding the reactor and its use. The
University Related Material series consists of material documenting Dr. Menius' work as a professor and administrator within the Department of Physics.
This series includes letters and memoranda by members of the Department of Physics and Nuclear Reactor staff relating to the
design and construction of both the original nuclear research reactor and its replacement. It also includes letters on the
use of the first reactor for research, and shipment of reactor fuel and components to Oak Ridge, Tennessee after a leak was
discovered.
[Box
1,
Folder
1]
1950 - 1951
[Box
1,
Folder
2]
1952 - 1953
[Box
1,
Folder
3]
October 1954 - November 1954
[Box
1,
Folder
4]
January 1955 - July 1955
[Box
1,
Folder
5]
August 1955 - December 1955
[Box
1,
Folder
6]
January 1956 - March 1956
[Box
1,
Folder
7]
1957 - 1960
The largest series in the collection, it consists of notes, calculations, reports, and procedures relating to the planning,
research, and operation of the first and second nuclear reactors on the
North Carolina State College campus. Included are the original proposal for a nuclear reactor at North Carolina State, reports on the program administration
and design of the reactor, and a report of a visit to the nuclear reactor at
Los Alamos, N.M. Research materials contain calculations and requirements relating to all elements in the design and use of a nuclear reactor,
including shielding, materials composition, critical size and mass, bubble effect and gas activity in the reactor. Menius
primarily worked on the theoretical calculations for the reactor. Also included are calculations, notes, and reports on the
potential for harmful radioactive dosage exposure and safe dismantling and transportation of the first reactor. Operational
materials consist of procedure regulations and reports, staff assignments, and reactor staff bulletins.
The series is arranged chronologically and includes many documents with no date.
The original collection contained several spiral notebooks. These have been dismantled for preservation purposes and the notes
are now housed in folders.
[Box
1,
Folder
8]
Pile Kinetics Paper, by
L.W. Nordheim,
Clinton Laboratories,
April 1946
[Box
1,
Folder
9]
Proposal of a Nuclear Reactor at North Carolina State College, March,
1950
[Box
1,
Folder
10]
Informal Conference on Nuclear Engineering Education and on the Proposed Nuclear Reactor at North Carolina State College,
April 1950
[Box
1,
Folder
11]
Program Administration and Installation Design of the Nuclear Reactor Project at North Carolina State College,
July 1950
[Box
1,
Folder
12]
Prior Development and Present Status of the Nuclear Reactor Project at North Carolina State College,
November 1950
[Box
1,
Folder
13]
U.S. Atomic Energy Commission , Security Questionnaire,
1950
[Box
1,
Folder
14]
Spiral Notebook Notes,
1950
[Box
1,
Folder
15]
Spiral Notebook Notes: Fission Products, Gaseous Products,
1950
[Box
1,
Folder
16]
Beta Particle Transmission for Aluminum Windows,
April 1951
[Box
1,
Folder
17]
Control and Safety Rods,
April 1951
[Box
1,
Folder
18]
Friction Loss in Stack,
April 1951
[Box
1,
Folder
19]
Rate of Power Rise with Control Rod Removal,
April 1951
[Box
1,
Folder
20]
Water Window Thickness,
April 1951
[Box
1,
Folder
21]
Concrete,
June 1951
[Box
1,
Folder
22]
Report of Los Alamos Visit, June 22, 1951,
June 1951
[Box
1,
Folder
23]
Comparison of Bartyes from Different Sources,
July 1951
[Box
1,
Folder
24]
Design of the Nuclear Reactor at North Carolina State College,
July 1951
[Box
1,
Folder
25]
Exposure Ports,
July 1951
[Box
1,
Folder
26]
Disturbance of Neutron Flux in Reactor by a Control Rod,
August 1951
[Box
1,
Folder
27]
Test of Heat Exchanger for H
"2"-O
"2" Disposal Unit,
August 1951
[Box
1,
Folder
28]
Shim Widths,
September 1951
[Box
1,
Folder
29]
Spiral Notebook Notes,
October 1951
[Box
1,
Folder
30]
Stack Meterology,
October 1951
[Box
1,
Folder
31]
Boron Curtain,
1951
[Box
1,
Folder
32]
Enriched Homogeneous Nuclear Reactor,
U.S. Atomic Energy Commission,,
1951
[Box
1,
Folder
33]
Gas System,
1951
[Box
2,
Folder
1]
Graphite, Lead, and Stainless Steel Requirements,
1951
[Box
2,
Folder
2]
Rod Removal Rate and General Information Concerning Control Rods at Los Alamos,
1951
[Box
2,
Folder
3]
Activity of Reactor Cooling Water,
January 1952
[Box
2,
Folder
4]
Envelope Materials,
May 1952
[Box
2,
Folder
5]
Analyses of Uranyl Sulfate and Nitrate (Solid Salts),
November 1952
[Box
2,
Folder
6]
Reactor Instrumentation,
1952
[Box
2,
Folder
7]
Antimony-Beryllium Neutron Sources,
April 1953
[Box
2,
Folder
8]
Reactor Operating Procedures,
September 1953
[Box
2,
Folder
9]
Miscellaneous Memoranda to Reactor Staff,
1953
[Box
2,
Folder
10]
Reactor Staff Assignments,
February 1954
[Box
2,
Folder
11]
Reactor Staff Bulletin, 1-2,
1954
[Box
2,
Folder
12]
Fission Products Xe
"133" and I
"131",
May 1955
[Box
2,
Folder
13]
Study of Incident Involving Fuel Leak in North Carolina State College Reactor,
June 1955
[Box
2,
Folder
14]
Optimization of a Water-Boiler Type Reactor Phase II 20% U
"235" Enrichment,
October 1955
[Box
2,
Folder
15]
Specifications on Valve Assemblies for the North Carolina State College Reactor Assembly,
December 1955
[Box
2,
Folder
16]
Application for Reactor Irradiation of Samples,
1955
[Box
2,
Folder
17]
Babcock and Wilcox Reactor Calculations,
1955
[Box
2,
Folder
18]
Reactor Staff Bulletin, 1 and 4,
1955
[Box
2,
Folder
19]
Revised Shielding of the Reactor,
February 1956
[Box
2,
Folder
20]
Activity in Stack Gas, undated
[Box
2,
Folder
21]
Activity of Gaseous Products, undated
[Box
2,
Folder
22]
Bubble Effect, undated
[Box
2,
Folder
23]
Building Evacuation Procedure, undated
[Box
2,
Folder
24]
Control Mechanisms and Neutron Sources, undated
[Box
2,
Folder
25]
Coolant Pipes, undated
[Box
2,
Folder
26]
Core S.S., undated
[Box
2,
Folder
27]
Critical Size and Mass, undated
[Box
2,
Folder
28]
Effect of P
"b" and Bismuth in Thermal Column, undated
[Box
2,
Folder
29]
Effect of Proposed A1 Liners in Vicinity of Reactor, undated
[Box
2,
Folder
30]
Effectiveness of Series Holding System for Radioactive Gases, undated
[Box
2,
Folder
31]
Equilibrium of Radioactive Product of Intermittent Reactor Operation, undated
[Box
2,
Folder
32]
Exposure of Coolant (H
"2"O) to Reactor Radiation, undated
[Box
2,
Folder
33]
Final Report on Concrete Tests, undated
[Box
2,
Folder
34]
Heat from Fission Product Radioactivity in Reactor, undated
[Box
2,
Folder
35]
I.D. Tubing Pressure Drop Calculations, undated
[Box
2,
Folder
36]
Maximum Plutonium (P
"u") Production, undated
[Box
2,
Folder
37]
Preparation and Loading of Fuel Storage Tank into Special Shield for Shipment to Oak Ridge, undated
[Box
2,
Folder
38]
Preparation of Uranium Foils, undated
[Box
2,
Folder
39]
Pressure Necessary to Circulate Coolant, undated
[Box
2,
Folder
40]
Pseduo-Adiabetic Chart, undated
[Box
2,
Folder
41]
Radioactive "Cloud" and Dosage Calculations, undated
[Box
2,
Folder
42]
Reactor Calculations, undated
[Box
2,
Folder
43]
Reactor Instrument Check Out Procedure, undated
[Box
2,
Folder
44]
Reactor Period vs. Reactivity, undated
[Box
2,
Folder
45]
Reflector Thickness, undated
[Box
2,
Folder
46]
Shielding, undated
[Box
2,
Folder
47]
Slow Neutron Distribution Within Reflector, undated
[Box
2,
Folder
48]
Temperature Coefficient, undated
[Box
2,
Folder
49]
U-235 Mass-Volume Relations for Uranium Salt Solutions, undated
This series consists of architectural and construction drawings and schematics of several components of the nuclear reactors.
Such components include the catalyst chamber, gas cooler, packed scrubbing tube, and primary condenser. Large scale plans
include the H
"2"-O
"2"disposal system, water boiler, reinforcing details for the nuclear reactor building, and the wiring diagram for reactor cubicle.
[Box
2,
Folder
50]
Catalyst Chamber,
October 1951
[Box
2,
Folder
51]
Condensate Trap,
October 1951
[Box
2,
Folder
52]
Gas Cooler,
October 1951
[Box
2,
Folder
53]
Packed Scrubbing Tube,
October 1951
[Box
2,
Folder
54]
Primary Condenser,
October 1951
[Box
oversize,
Folder
1]
Water Boiler,
February 1951
[Box
oversize,
Folder
2]
Proposed Plan, Hydrogen-Oxygen Disposal (2 sheets),
June 1951
[Box
oversize,
Folder
3]
H
"2"-O
"2" Disposal System,
October 1951
[Box
oversize,
Folder
4]
2MXB and 1/2 H.P. Varidrive Syncrogear Motor,
October 1951
[Box
oversize,
Folder
5]
Miscellaneous Steel, Nuclear Reactor Building,
October 1951
[Box
oversize,
Folder
6]
Reinforcing, Nuclear Reactor Building,
October 1951
[Box
oversize,
Folder
7]
Reinforcing Details, Nuclear Reactor Building,
October 1951
[Box
oversize,
Folder
8]
Wiring Diagram for Recorder Cubicle for Nuclear Reactor,
January 1952
[Box
oversize,
Folder
9]
Gas Cooler, Babcock and Wilcox,
August 1955
[Box
oversize,
Folder
10]
Packed Scrubbing Tube, Babcock and Wilcox,
August 1955
Includes formal reports by members of the reactor team regarding the operation and procedures of the first reactor and design
of the Babcock and Wilcox reactor. Includes first and second annual reports to the
U.S. Atomic Energy Commission, and reports concerning the reactor leak in May 1955 and the plans for its repair and removal.
The series is arranged chronologically.
[Box
3,
Folder
1]
Memorandum on Operating Plans for the Raleigh Research Reactor (Beck),
February 1953
(NCSC-59,)
[Box
3,
Folder
2]
An Incident of Polonium Contamination in the Physics Department, Discovered April 10, 1953 (Beck),
May 1953
(NCSC-62,)
[Box
3,
Folder
3]
Procedure for Critical Experiment (Murray and Reactor Staff),
July 1953
(NCSC-64,)
[Box
3,
Folder
4]
Summary of Early Experiments on Characteristics and Behavior of the Raleigh Research Reactor (Reactor Staff),
December 1953
(NCSC-67,)
[Box
3,
Folder
5]
Annual Report to AEC on Raleigh Research Reactor Project (Beck),
April 1954
(NCSC-68,)
[Box
3,
Folder
6]
Calculation of Critical Mass of Babcock and Wilcox Reactor (Murray, Menius and Beck),
April 1954
(NCSC-69,)
[Box
3,
Folder
7]
Flux Distribution in the Babcock and Wilcox Reactor (Murray and Menius),
April 1954
(NCSC-70,)
[Box
3,
Folder
8]
Revision of Reactor Components; Policies and Procedures of Operation (Beck),
May 1954
(NCSC-73,)
[Box
3,
Folder
9]
Critical Loading and Flux Distribution in in Babcock and Wilcox Research Reactor (Murray, Menius and Beck),
June 1954
(NCSC-74,)
[Box
3,
Folder
10]
Information Relative to Instruction and Research in Nuclear Engineering at North Carolina State College (Beck),
July 1954
(NCSC-75,)
[Box
3,
Folder
11]
Optimization of Flux in Homogeneous Water- Moderated, Graphite-Reflected Reactor (Murray and Menius),
July 1954
(NCSC-76,)
[Box
3,
Folder
12]
Report on ASEE Summer Institutes on Inclusion of Modern and Solid State Physics in the Curricula of all Engineers (Beck),
September 1954
(NCSC-79,)
[Box
3,
Folder
13]
Comments on Nuclear Engineering in the Open Conference (Beck),
September 1954
(NCSC-80,)
[Box
3,
Folder
14]
Emergency Procedures in Case of Catastrophe Involving the Raleigh Research Reactor (Beck),
September 1954
(NCSC-84,)
[Box
3,
Folder
15]
University Research Reactors: Their Purpose and Potentiality (Beck),
October 1954
(NCSC-86,)
[Box
3,
Folder
16]
Control Rod Reactivity Values for Babcock and Wilcox Reactor (Murray and Menius),
October 1954
(NCSC-87,)
[Box
3,
Folder
17]
Temporary Loss of Reactivity Due to Precipitation of Fuel in the Raleigh Research Reactor (Beck),
November 1954
(NCSC-88,)
[Box
3,
Folder
18]
Additional Flux Measurements on the Raleigh Reactor (Waltner and Dayton),
November 1954
(NCSC-90,)
[Box
3,
Folder
19]
Effect of Shims on Babcock and Wilcox Research Reactor (Murray and Menius),
November 1954
(NCSC-91,)
[Box
3,
Folder
20]
Second Annual Report to Atomic Energy Commission on the Raleigh Research Reactor Project (Beck),
May 1955
(NCSC-103,)
[Box
3,
Folder
21]
Evidences of a leak in the Gas System of the Raleigh Research Reactor; Plans for Repair (Beck),
June 1955
(NCSC-104,)
[Box
3,
Folder
22]
Further Data on Reactor Operations up to Removal of Fuel from the Fuel Cylinder (Reactor Staff),
August 1955
(NCSC-108,)
[Box
3,
Folder
23]
Memo on Proposed Gamma Irradiation Facility (Beck),
September 1955
(NCSC-113,)
[Box
3,
Folder
24]
Conference with Babcock and Wilcox on Reactor Design (Beck),
November 1955
(NCSC-118,)
[Box
3,
Folder
25]
Current Status of Plans for Revised Physical Facilities of the Raleigh Research Reactor (Beck),
February 1956
(NCSC-129,)
This series consists of correspondence, weekly reports, meeting minutes, and memoranda relating to the work of the committee
regarding safety and health issues surrounding the reactor project. Also included is correspondence relating to a group of
consultants sent to advise the Safety and Health Committee on their responsibility for encouraging research on nuclear radiation
and all matters that might involve radiological safety and public health.
Correspondence
[Box
3,
Folder
26]
1953 - 1954
[Box
3,
Folder
27]
January 1955 - April 1955
[Box
3,
Folder
28]
May 1955
[Box
3,
Folder
29]
June 1955
[Box
3,
Folder
30]
July 1955
[Box
3,
Folder
31]
August 1955 - September 1955
[Box
3,
Folder
32]
October 1955
[Box
3,
Folder
33]
November 1955 - December 1955
[Box
3,
Folder
34]
1956 - 1958
Includes correspondence and reports relating to Menius' work as a professor and administrator within the Department of Physics
at North Carolina State University. Contains curriculum requirements for students in nuclear engineering, letters of recommendation
by Menius for former students, vitae and correspondence relating to his work on a search committee for a new Head of the Department
of Chemistry, and material relating to two nuclear power short courses for industry.
[Box
4,
Folder
1]
Letters of Recommendation,
1949 - 1958
[Box
4,
Folder
2]
School of Engineering, Graduate Requirements,
1949 - 1954
[Box
4,
Folder
3]
Nuclear Engineering, Curriculum in,
1950
[Box
4,
Folder
4]
Correspondence, Graduate School,
1953 - 1958
[Box
4,
Folder
5]
Graduate Staff Meetings, Minutes,
1954
[Box
4,
Folder
6]
Nuclear Engineering: An Introduction to the Applications of Nuclear Energy (Raymond L. Murray),
1954
[Box
4,
Folder
7]
Nuclear Power Short Course,
1955 - 1956
[Box
4,
Folder
8]
Search Committee, Department of Chemistry Head,
1959 - 1960
[Box
4,
Folder
9]
Faculty Television Lecture, "Science: Its Past, Your Future,",
1965
[Box
4,
Folder
10]
Training Opportunities in a Nuclear Research Center (Raymond L. Murray), undated
CreatorMenius, Arthur C. (Arthur Clayton), Jr., 1916-1996 Quantity1.25 Linear feet General Physical Description note4 archival boxes and oversized materials LocationFor current information on the location of these materials, please consult the
Special Collections Research Center Reference Staff LanguageEnglish Acquisitions InformationGift from A. C. Menius, Jr., 1981 August 5. Acquisitions InformationGift from A. C. Menius, August 1981. ProcessingProcessed by: Sarah G. Carr; machine-readable finding aid created by: Nancy J. Kaiser and Katherine M. Wisser Scope and Content NoteThe A. C. Menius, Jr. Papers contain material relating to his work as a physicist and professor at North Carolina State University. The bulk of the material is from 1950 to 1956, and reflects his work on the design, implementation, and operation of the first U.S. non-governmental nuclear reactor, which was built on the North Carolina State College campus, as well as the design of a second reactor by Babcock and Wilcox beginning in 1955. The original reactor was dedicated in 1953, and decommissioned in 1956. The Babcock and Wilcox reactor became necessary after the reactor staff discovered a leak in the original reactor. Other members of the reactor teams whose work is reflected in the collection are Clifford Beck, Raymond Murray, Newton Underwood, and Arthur Waltner. Biographical Note
Controlled Terms
Related Material
Related Archival Materials
Access to CollectionThis collection is open for research; access requires at least 24 hours advance notice. For more information contact us via mail, phone, fax, or our web form. Special Collections Research Center Telephone(919) 515-2273 Fax(919) 513-1787 Preferred Citation[Identification of item], A. C. Menius, Jr. Papers, MC 141, North Carolina State University Libraries, Raleigh, North Carolina. Access to CollectionNorth Carolina State University does not own copyright to this collection. Individuals obtaining materials from the NCSU Libraries' Special Collections Research Center are responsible for using the works in conformance with United States copyright law as well as any donor restrictions accompanying the materials. |
