Criticality Safety Strategy for the Fuel Cycle Facility Electrorefiner at Argonne National Laboratory, West

Conference · Sun Sep 12 00:00:00 EDT 1993 · Nuclear Technology

DOI:https://doi.org/10.13182/NT96-A35251· OSTI ID:10182999

Mariani, Robert D. ^[1]; Benedict, Robert W. ^[1]; Lell, Richard M. ^[2]; Turski, Ronald B. ^[2]; Fujita, Edward K. ^[2]

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1. Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Idaho Falls, UD (United States)
2. Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)

The Integral Fast Reactor being developed by Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) combines the advantages of metal-fueled, liquid-metal-cooled reactors and a closed fuel cycle. Presently, the Fuel Cycle Facility (FCF) at ANL-West in Idaho Falls, Idaho is being modified to recycle spent metallic fuel from Experimental Breeder Reactor II as part of a demonstration project sponsored by the Department of Energy. A key component of the FCF is the electrorefiner (ER) in which the actinides are separated from the fission products. In the electrorefining process, the metal fuel is anodically dissolved into a high-temperature molten salt and refined uranium, or uranium/plutonium products are deposited at cathodes. In this report, the criticality safety strategy for the FCF ER is summarized. FCF ER operations and processes formed the basis for evaluating criticality safety and control during actinide metal fuel refining. In order to show criticality safety for the FCF ER, the reference operating conditions for the ER had to be defined. Normal operating envelopes (NOES) were then defined to bracket the important operating conditions. To keep the operating conditions within their NOES, process controls were identified that can be used to regulate the actinide forms and content within the ER. A series of operational checks were developed for each operation that wig verify the extent or success of an operation. The criticality analysis considered the ER operating conditions at their NOE values as the point of departure for credible and incredible failure modes. As a result of the analysis, FCF ER operations were found to be safe with respect to criticality.

• Research Organization: Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Idaho Falls, UD (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)
• DOE Contract Number: W-31109-ENG-38
• OSTI ID: 10182999
• Report Number(s): ANL/FC/CP-78117; CONF-930913-36; ON: DE93040245; TRN: 93:021730
• Journal Information: Nuclear Technology, Vol. 114, Issue 2; Conference: Global '93: Future Nuclear Systems - Emerging Fuel Cycles and Waste Disposal Options, Seattle, WA (United States), 12-17 Sep 1993; Other Information: PBD: [1993]; ISSN 0029-5450
• Publisher: Taylor & Francis
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
96 KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT AND PRESERVATION
IFR REACTOR
FUEL CYCLE
ELECTROREFINING
SAFETY
DEMONSTRATION PROGRAMS
CRITICALITY
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SPENT FUELS
RECYCLING
ANL
ACTINIDES
INVENTORIES
CATHODES
PROCESS CONTROL
FAILURES
ANODES
Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)
Integral Fast Reactor
Fuel Cycle Facility (FCF)
Electrorefiner (ER)
Normal operating envelopes (NOES)
Process Controls
Operational Checks
Criticality Analysis
210500
050800
POWER REACTORS
BREEDING
SPENT FUELS REPROCESSING