Criticality Safety Considerations for MSRE Fuel Drain Tank Uranium Aggregation
Conference
·
OSTI ID:515562
- Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
This paper presents the results of a preliminary criticality safety study of some potential effects of uranium reduction and aggregation in the Molten Salt Reactor Experiment (MSRE) fuel drain tanks (FDTs) during salt removal operations. Since the salt was transferred to the FDTs in 1969, radiological and chemical reactions have been converting the uranium and fluorine in the salt to UF6 and free fluorine. Significant amounts of uranium (at least 3 kg) and fluorine have migrated out of the FDTs and into the off-gas system (OGS) and the auxiliary charcoal bed (ACB). The loss of uranium and fluorine from the salt changes the chemical properties of the salt sufficiently to possibly allow the reduction of the UF4 in the salt to uranium metal as the salt is remelted prior to removal. It has been postulated that up to 9 kg of the maximum 19.4 kg of uranium in one FDT could be reduced to metal and concentrated. This study shows that criticality becomes a concern when more than 5 kg of uranium concentrates to over 8 wt % of the salt in a favorable geometry.
- Research Organization:
- Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC05-96OR22464
- OSTI ID:
- 515562
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-970926--4; ON: DE97003663
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
27GROUPNDF4 Cross-Section Library
AGGLOMERATION
Auxiliary Charcoal Bed (ACB)
CRITICALITY
Energy of the Average Lethargy Causing Fission (EALCF)
Fuel Drain Tanks (FDTs)
KENO-V.a
MOLTEN SALT FUELS
MSRE REACTOR
Molten Salt Reactor Experiment (MSRE)
Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)
OFF-GAS SYSTEMS
Off-Gas System (OGS)
REACTOR DECOMMISSIONING
REDUCTION
SAFETY ANALYSIS
STORAGE FACILITIES
TANKS
URANIUM FLUORIDES
27GROUPNDF4 Cross-Section Library
AGGLOMERATION
Auxiliary Charcoal Bed (ACB)
CRITICALITY
Energy of the Average Lethargy Causing Fission (EALCF)
Fuel Drain Tanks (FDTs)
KENO-V.a
MOLTEN SALT FUELS
MSRE REACTOR
Molten Salt Reactor Experiment (MSRE)
Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)
OFF-GAS SYSTEMS
Off-Gas System (OGS)
REACTOR DECOMMISSIONING
REDUCTION
SAFETY ANALYSIS
STORAGE FACILITIES
TANKS
URANIUM FLUORIDES