Fire exposure of empty 30B cylinders

Conference · Tue Dec 31 04:00:00 EST 1991

OSTI ID:139642

Ziehlke, K T ^[1]

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1. MJB Technical Associates, Inc., Knoxville, TN (United States)

Cylinders for UF{sub 6} handling, transport, and storage are designed and built as unfired pressure vessels under ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code criteria and standards. They are normally filled and emptied while UF{sub 6} is in its liquid phase. Transport cylinders such as the Model 30B are designed for service at 200 psi and 250{degrees}F, to sustain the process conditions which prevail during filling or emptying operations. While in transport, however, at ambient temperature the UF{sub 6} is solid, and the cylinder interior is well below atmospheric pressure. When the cylinders contain isotopically enriched product (above 1.0 percent U-235), they are transported in protective overpacks which function to guard the cylinders and their contents against thermal or mechanical damage in the event of possible transport accidents. Two bare Model 30B cylinders were accidentally exposed to a storage warehouse fire in which a considerable amount of damage was sustained by stored materials and the building structure, as well as by the cylinder valves and valve protectors. The cylinders were about six years old, and had been cleaned, inspected, hydrotested, and re-certified for service, but were still empty at the time of the fire. The privately-owned cylinders were transferred to DOE for testing and evaluation of the fire damage.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-76OR00001
• OSTI ID: 139642
• Report Number(s): CONF-9110117--; ON: DE92005283
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

05 NUCLEAR FUELS
42 ENGINEERING
DAMAGE
FIRE RESISTANCE
FIRES
PRESSURE VESSELS
STORAGE
TESTING
URANIUM HEXAFLUORIDE
VALVES