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Title: The TMI defueling project fuel debris removal system

Conference · · Transactions of the American Nuclear Society; (United States)
OSTI ID:6964520
 [1]
  1. EG and G Idaho, Inc., Idaho Falls (United States)

The Three Mile Island (TMI) unit 2 pressurized water reactor loss-of-coolant accident on March 28, 1979, presented the nuclear community with many challenging remediation problems. A plethora of techniques, systems, and tools have been employed for the recovery and packaging of the postaccident configuration of the reactor core. Of particular difficulty was the removal of the fuel debris located beneath the lower core support structure. Fuel debris located beneath the lower core support structure was the result of rapid cooling of the previously molten UO{sub 2} and ZrO{sub 2}, causing formation of a ceramic like rubble. Approximately 19,100 kg of this rubble settled beneath the lower core support structure and onto the lower head of the reactor containment vessel. The development and implementation of a debris collection system based on the air lift principle proved to be an effective method for gathering the fuel debris from beneath the lower core support structure.

OSTI ID:
6964520
Report Number(s):
CONF-920606-; CODEN: TANSA
Journal Information:
Transactions of the American Nuclear Society; (United States), Vol. 65; Conference: American Nuclear Society annual meeting, Boston, MA (United States), 7-12 Jun 1992; ISSN 0003-018X
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English