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U.S. Department of Energy
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Application of PSA to storage of Pu at SRS

Conference ·
OSTI ID:158183
 [1]
  1. Westinghouse Savannah River Co., Aiken, SC (United States)
Pu is stored in a wide variety of physical forms and containers at the Savannah River Site (SRS). Probabilistic Safety Analysis (PSA) techniques are used to determine the risk associated with each of these storage modes and assist in identification of the controls necessary to minimize the risk. One storage method involves solids in exposed drum storage where the drums are vulnerable to external events, natural phenomena, and release of material due to weathering of the containers. Another storage method may involve liquids being processed inside the canyon facilities where the greatest risks are not from external events but from process upsets. PSA techniques have been particularly useful in the evaluation of criticality situations concerning Pu processing and storage. The applications include ``normal`` operating situations, problems following a seismic event, and the identification of potential problems during the decontamination and decommissioning of a facility. In this paper I would like to discuss two specific examples of the use of PSA techniques. The first involves the analysis of potential accidents in a Pu receipt and storage facility. The second example involves processing solutions that have the potential for experiencing an uncontrolled "red oil" reaction.
Research Organization:
Westinghouse Savannah River Co., Aiken, SC (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)
DOE Contract Number:
AC09-89SR18035
OSTI ID:
158183
Report Number(s):
WSRC-MS--95-0320P; CONF-9508178--3; ON: DE96003083
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English