North Carolina State College of Agriculture and Engineering
of the
University of North Carolina
Raleigh
PHYSICS DEPARTMENT

June 9, 1952
Dean J. H. Lampe
228 Riddick
Campus
Copy for Mr. J. G. Vann
Re: - Additional funds for Reactor Construction JHL.
Dear Dean Lampe:

In March, 1950, (as published in a N. C. State Collage Bulletin of
August, 1950, and in Nucleonics, December, 1950,), estimated that construc-
tion of the Nuclear Reactor cost $150,000, including $30,000 for al-
terations the Bureau Mines Building, in which it was then expected
that the reactor would be housed. In late 1950, it was established that a
new reactor building would be constructed, and our estimates of the cost of
constructing the reactor were lowered to $120,000, since alteration of the
Bureau of Mines Building would not be involved.

During 1951 and thus far in 1952, three things have transpired which
have caused the actual cost of the reactor construction project to be higher
than it should have been:

1. Costs of equipment materials have increased from 5 to 50% par-
ticularly electronic equipment.

2. Design of the reactor building, the extended haggling over building
plans and revision of building plans (when the first bids were excessive),
and in general the inexperience of the architect and of the Physics Staff in
the problems of building construction, consumed a great deal of time, energy,
and money, and delayed the project by at least a year.

3. The delay in the project has greatly extended the efforts of the
staff, made the efforts less efficient, extended the overhead costs of keep-
ing the project going, and much of the staff efforts have been involved with
the building rather than with the reactor.

On the other hand, have been able to reduce costs through one favor-
able accomplishment. Through arrangement with the Atomic Energy Commission,
about $9,000 was saved on the costs of graphite and lead, and almost as much
was saved through special arrangements with the Brown Instrument Company,
and the Nuclear Instrument Chemical Corporation.

At the present time, as matters have now developed, we believe that the
reactor can be brought completely into operating condition for a total of
$125,000.

Dean J. H. Lampe - 2 - June 9, 1952

This figure will include all material and labor costs on the reactor
itself and on the auxiliary systems required in operating it; will include
such items on the reactor building as has, for one reason or another,
been forced into the reactor account--design, construction, and installation
of the water windows, minor excavating charges, design and construction of a
sample hood, etc.; and will also include other miscellaneous items related
to reactor operation, but not directly required therein--a campus radiation
monitoring system, personnel monitors for persons engaged in the reactor
operation, etc.

You will recall that $90,000 (now $91,800) was allocated to the reactor
construction account in late 1950. In the conversation in Mr. Vann's a office
relative to this project when the allocation on was made, Mr. Vann, Mr. Carmichael,
Dean Lampe, and Clifford Beck being present, it was pointed out by the letter
that the estimated amount required was $120,000, but it was agreed that the
$90,000 then available would be used as far as it would go, and cnsideration
would be given later to the problem of added funds, if any were needed,

We have now committed about $85,000 of the $90,000, and the matter of
the extra $35,000 needed to complete this job must be faced.

It is our intention to accomplish a major part of the job yet remaining
on the reactor during the summer period immediately ahead, when the Physics
Staff is relatively free of teaching responsibilities.

The effort and labor effort proposed for the summer are shown below. Of
the regular staff, it is anticipated that one-third of the first six weeks
(two-thirds to be devoted to teaching), and all of the subsequent five weeks
will be devoted to reactor construction. The other men will spend about
eleven weeks, full tine, on the reactor components (at $.75 to $1.50 per
hour).

	1/3 of 1st 6 weeks	2nd 5 weeks
Menius A.C.	$300	$600	H.A.Lamonds Electronic	$660
Murray, R. L.	$300	$600	R.H. Clark and	$660
Underwood, N. N.	$300	$600	F.P. Turvey Instruments	$525
Waltner, A. W.	$250	0
Lancaster, F. W.	$300	$600	D.Pendergraft,Shop (15 wks. to Sept. 1)	$950
Brown, E.J.	$150	$450
		$4,450	L. Robinson, Drafting (Part-time)	$300
			Meyers (Laborer)	$500
				$3,595

Insofar as we have been able to estimate at the present stage of develop-
ment, the following materials, supplies, and equipment, together with estimated

Dean J. H. Lampe - 2 - June 9, 1952

labor costs of construction, necessary alteration, and installation, yet
remain to be purchased on the reactor:

1.	Boron "Curtain" across thermal column	$1,200	$1,200
2.	Further work on reactor fuel container	500	1,700
3.	Further work on recombiner	250	1,950
4.	Flowmeter on recombiner	400	2,350
5.	Pressure meter on recombiner	600	2,950
6.	Pressure meter on reactor	1,000	3,050
7.	(6) Aluminum liners for ports 3" x 10' x 3/32" wall	100	3,150
8.	(6) Aluminum liners for ports 1" x 10' x 3/32" wall	100	3,250
9.	Thermocouples	100	3,350
10.	Water cooler for cooling coils	250	3,600
11.	Pure lead window for the column	2,000	5,600
12.	Pump for cooling water circulation	200	5,800
13.	Further work on water windows	1,500	7,300
14.	Control console	1,000	8,300
15.	Logarithmic amplifier, rate meter with trip circuits, and interlocks
		4,500	11,800
16.	Additional components on instrumentation (stack, sewer monitors, gamma ray channel)
		6,000	17,000
17.	Boron chamber	1,000	18,000
18.	Boron cadmium paraffin, and other special items	2,000	20,000
19.	Motor on gas disposal	200	20,200
20.	Gas disposal tanks and valves	450	20,650
21.	Liquid level indicator	300	20,950
22.	Sampling device	175	21,125
23.	Personnel monitors, films and foils	300	21,425
24.	Rod position indicators-slide wire trams	350	21,775
25.	Cables, valves, meters shop supplies, tubing minor equipment, miscellaneous items
		500	26,775 Total parts equipment, etc., yet to purchase.

In this estimate, we have allowed very little margin for unanticipated
equipment requirements, for extended labor costs, sould excessive difficulties
in installation or "proving" be encounter, etc. The estimate is conserva-
tive, but I am rather confident, as matters now appear, that we can bring the
reactor to the point where O.O.R. funds can apply with the schedule outlined
above

I will appreciate the opportunity to discuss this with you at your con-
venience.
Sincerely yours,
Clifford K. Beck
CKB:mm