This film in the “Magic of the Atom” series was produced in 1964 by the Handel Film Corporation. “Atomic Power Production” explains how heat is created by the controlled chain reaction of atomic fuel in a reactor is converted to electrical power. The basic differences in these power reactors are discussed: the boiling-water reactor, the pressurized-water reactor, and liquid-metal-cooled reactor, and the organic-cooled reactor. The principal of the breeder reactor is explained and its importance is discussed. Footage includes the ill-fated breeder reactor at the Enrico Fermi Nuclear Generating Station.
The director of this film Leo A. Handel, was educated in France, Germany and England, and obtained degrees in market research and economics, and served as director of Audience Research at MGM in the 1940s followed by a role in Military Intelligence. In 1950 Handel pitched the Atomic Energy Commission the idea to produce a series of films about the peaceful uses of atomic energy, resulting in the production of 13 half-hour films in the “Magic of the Atom” series.
The Enrico Fermi Nuclear Generating Station is a nuclear power plant on the shore of Lake Erie near Monroe, in Frenchtown Charter Township, Michigan on approximately 1,000 acres. All units of the plant are operated by the DTE Energy Electric Company and owned (100 percent) by parent company DTE Energy. It is approximately halfway between Detroit, Michigan, and Toledo, Ohio. It is also visible from parts of Amherstburg and Colchester, Ontario as well as on the shore of Lake Erie in Ottawa County, Ohio. Two units have been constructed on this site. The first unit’s construction started in August 4, 1956 and reached initial criticality in August 23, 1963, and the second unit received its construction permit in September 26, 1972. It reached criticality (head on) in June 21, 1985 and was declared commercial in November 18, 1988. The plant is connected to two single-circuit 345 kV Transmission Lines and 3 120 kV lines. They are operated and maintained by ITC Transmission.
The plant is named after the Italian nuclear physicist Enrico Fermi, most noted for his work on the development of the first nuclear reactor as well as many other major contributions to nuclear physics. Fermi won the 1938 Nobel Prize in Physics for his work on induced radioactivity.
On October 5, 1966, Fermi 1, a prototype fast breeder reactor, suffered a partial fuel meltdown, although no radioactive material was released. After repairs it was shut down by 1972.
On August 8, 2008, John McCain was taken on a 45-minute tour of the plant, becoming the first actively campaigning presidential candidate to visit a nuclear plant.
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This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD and 2k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com
