Dispersion of UO{sub 2}F{sub 2} aerosol and HF vapor in the operating floor during winter ventilation at the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant
Abstract
The gaseous diffusion process is currently employed at two plants in the US: the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant and the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant. As part of a facility-wide safety evaluation, a postulated design basis accident involving large line-rupture induced releases of uranium hexafluoride (UF{sub 6}) into the process building of a gaseous diffusion plant (GDP) is evaluated. When UF{sub 6} is released into the atmosphere, it undergoes an exothermic chemical reaction with moisture (H{sub 2}O) in the air to form vaporized hydrogen fluoride (HF) and aerosolized uranyl fluoride (UO{sub 2}F{sub 2}). These reactants disperse in the process building and transport through the building ventilation system. The ventilation system draws outside air into the process building, distributes it evenly throughout the building, and discharges it to the atmosphere at an elevated temperature. Since air is recirculated from the cell floor area to the operating floor, issues concerning in-building worker safety and evacuation need to be addressed. Therefore, the objective of this study is to evaluate the transport of HF vapor and UO{sub 2}F{sub 2} aerosols throughout the operating floor area following B-line break accident in the cell floor area.
- Authors:
-
- Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States)
- J.C. Carter Associates, Inc., Knoxville, TN (United States)
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 663385
- Report Number(s):
- ORNL/TM-13287
ON: DE98003605; TRN: 99:000152
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC05-84OR21400
- Resource Type:
- Technical Report
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: PBD: 30 Dec 1996
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 05 NUCLEAR FUELS; PADUCAH PLANT; OXYFLUORIDES; URANIUM COMPOUNDS; HYDROFLUORIC ACID; RADIOACTIVE AEROSOLS; VENTILATION SYSTEMS; OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY; URANIUM HEXAFLUORIDE; RADIATION ACCIDENTS; M CODES
Citation Formats
Kim, S H, Chen, N C.J., Taleyarkhan, R P, Keith, K D, Schmidt, R W, and Carter, J C. Dispersion of UO{sub 2}F{sub 2} aerosol and HF vapor in the operating floor during winter ventilation at the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant. United States: N. p., 1996.
Web. doi:10.2172/663385.
Kim, S H, Chen, N C.J., Taleyarkhan, R P, Keith, K D, Schmidt, R W, & Carter, J C. Dispersion of UO{sub 2}F{sub 2} aerosol and HF vapor in the operating floor during winter ventilation at the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant. United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/663385
Kim, S H, Chen, N C.J., Taleyarkhan, R P, Keith, K D, Schmidt, R W, and Carter, J C. 1996.
"Dispersion of UO{sub 2}F{sub 2} aerosol and HF vapor in the operating floor during winter ventilation at the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant". United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/663385. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/663385.
@article{osti_663385,
title = {Dispersion of UO{sub 2}F{sub 2} aerosol and HF vapor in the operating floor during winter ventilation at the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant},
author = {Kim, S H and Chen, N C.J. and Taleyarkhan, R P and Keith, K D and Schmidt, R W and Carter, J C},
abstractNote = {The gaseous diffusion process is currently employed at two plants in the US: the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant and the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant. As part of a facility-wide safety evaluation, a postulated design basis accident involving large line-rupture induced releases of uranium hexafluoride (UF{sub 6}) into the process building of a gaseous diffusion plant (GDP) is evaluated. When UF{sub 6} is released into the atmosphere, it undergoes an exothermic chemical reaction with moisture (H{sub 2}O) in the air to form vaporized hydrogen fluoride (HF) and aerosolized uranyl fluoride (UO{sub 2}F{sub 2}). These reactants disperse in the process building and transport through the building ventilation system. The ventilation system draws outside air into the process building, distributes it evenly throughout the building, and discharges it to the atmosphere at an elevated temperature. Since air is recirculated from the cell floor area to the operating floor, issues concerning in-building worker safety and evacuation need to be addressed. Therefore, the objective of this study is to evaluate the transport of HF vapor and UO{sub 2}F{sub 2} aerosols throughout the operating floor area following B-line break accident in the cell floor area.},
doi = {10.2172/663385},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/663385},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Mon Dec 30 00:00:00 EST 1996},
month = {Mon Dec 30 00:00:00 EST 1996}
}