PUR-1, The Nuclear Reactor Under Your Feet

Purdue University is unique undeniably unique with its possession of the only operation nuclear reactor in the state of Indiana. To truly complete the Purdue experience, all students should take advantage of the once in a life time opportunity to witness the inside of a nuclear reactor. “PUR-1” as it is called by the government is a small 5 MW reactor located in the basement of the Electrical Engineering building (which means its NOT underneath the engineering fountain!) on the engineering mall. The reactor, although very small in terms of power production, puts off a powerful blue glow when it first starts, then drones to a soft pulsing glow as billions of neutrons bounce off the many complex components inside the reactor core.  Sadly (or maybe not), the reactor is currently turned off and isn’t expected to operate again until they receive their next license to run the machine at 15MW.

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The United States government keeps a close eye on all of its reactors, and they treat ours with the same level of caution as any other. Because of this, it is quite an event for someone to be allowed down to see it. For a student to access this reactor, they would need to first contact the Nuclear Engineering department and request a tour, as it is probably in our best interest that the public isn’t allowed to wander their way into such a serious piece of equipment. The department takes visits to the reactor very seriously, and requires everyone who enters to provide their student ID or professional identification before being allowed into the reactors room. The reasoning for this tight “security” is that the government watches all nuclear reactors closely, and Purdue must report every single individual that has been in the reactor, each and every day.

Entering the room feels like a blast from the past as you walk through, over, and around machines and piping that look like hand-me-downs from the early Apollo missions. But fear not Purdue Students, the reason they are still there is because they still work! They try not to replace equipment that isn’t broken, and most of the machines are still going strong since its building in 1962. Despite all the dust, take a second to go in and enjoy a piece of history and to think about the wonderful opportunities that Purdue students have.