COMPUTER SIMULATIONS TO ADDRESS PU-FE EUTECTICISSUE IN 3013 STORAGE VESSEL
Abstract
On November 22, 2005, the Manager of the Plutonium Finishing Plant (PFP) in Richland, WA issued an Occurrence Report involving a potential Pu-Fe eutectic failure mechanism for the stainless steel (SS) 3013 cans containing plutonium (Pu) metal. Four additional reports addressed nuclear safety concerns about the integrity of stainless steel containers holding plutonium during fire scenarios. The reports expressed a belief that the probability and consequences of container failure due to the formation of a plutonium-iron eutectic alloy had been overlooked. Simplified thermal model to address the Pu-Fe eutectic concerns using axisymmetric model similar to the models used in the 9975 SARP were performed. The model uses Rocky Flats configuration with 2 stacked Pu buttons inside a 3013 assembly. The assembly has an outer can, an inner can, and a convenience can, all stainless steel. The boundary conditions are similar to the regulatory 30 minutes HAC fire analyses. Computer simulations of the HAC fire transients lasting 4 hours of burn time show that the interface between the primary containment vessel and the Pu metal in the 9975 package will not reach Pu-Fe eutectic temperature of 400 C.
- Authors:
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE
- OSTI Identifier:
- 902180
- Report Number(s):
- WSRC-STI-2007-00102
TRN: US200717%%167
- DOE Contract Number:
- DE-AC09-96SR18500
- Resource Type:
- Conference
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: ASME PVP 2007 / CREEP 8
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 36 MATERIALS SCIENCE; ALLOYS; BOUNDARY CONDITIONS; COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION; CONFIGURATION; CONTAINERS; CONTAINMENT; EUTECTICS; PLUTONIUM; PROBABILITY; RADIATION PROTECTION; RICHLAND; STAINLESS STEELS; STORAGE; TRANSIENTS
Citation Formats
Gupta, N, and Allen Smith, A. COMPUTER SIMULATIONS TO ADDRESS PU-FE EUTECTICISSUE IN 3013 STORAGE VESSEL. United States: N. p., 2007.
Web.
Gupta, N, & Allen Smith, A. COMPUTER SIMULATIONS TO ADDRESS PU-FE EUTECTICISSUE IN 3013 STORAGE VESSEL. United States.
Gupta, N, and Allen Smith, A. 2007.
"COMPUTER SIMULATIONS TO ADDRESS PU-FE EUTECTICISSUE IN 3013 STORAGE VESSEL". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/902180.
@article{osti_902180,
title = {COMPUTER SIMULATIONS TO ADDRESS PU-FE EUTECTICISSUE IN 3013 STORAGE VESSEL},
author = {Gupta, N and Allen Smith, A},
abstractNote = {On November 22, 2005, the Manager of the Plutonium Finishing Plant (PFP) in Richland, WA issued an Occurrence Report involving a potential Pu-Fe eutectic failure mechanism for the stainless steel (SS) 3013 cans containing plutonium (Pu) metal. Four additional reports addressed nuclear safety concerns about the integrity of stainless steel containers holding plutonium during fire scenarios. The reports expressed a belief that the probability and consequences of container failure due to the formation of a plutonium-iron eutectic alloy had been overlooked. Simplified thermal model to address the Pu-Fe eutectic concerns using axisymmetric model similar to the models used in the 9975 SARP were performed. The model uses Rocky Flats configuration with 2 stacked Pu buttons inside a 3013 assembly. The assembly has an outer can, an inner can, and a convenience can, all stainless steel. The boundary conditions are similar to the regulatory 30 minutes HAC fire analyses. Computer simulations of the HAC fire transients lasting 4 hours of burn time show that the interface between the primary containment vessel and the Pu metal in the 9975 package will not reach Pu-Fe eutectic temperature of 400 C.},
doi = {},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/902180},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue Mar 06 00:00:00 EST 2007},
month = {Tue Mar 06 00:00:00 EST 2007}
}