Criticality Safety Considerations in Designing Pyrochemical Gloveboxes

Conference · Mon Sep 09 04:00:00 EDT 1991

OSTI ID:5643373

Choi, Jor-Shan ^[1]

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1. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)

The processing, handling, and temporary storing of our multi-kilogram quantities of fissile material in pyrochemical gloveboxes introduce a potential for a nuclear criticality accident. The criticality concerns encountered in these processes and operations result primarily from the potential for inadvertent assembly of a critical mass, particularly in gloveboxes with multiple workstations, and the possible introduction of moderating material in the proximity to a subcritical assembly of fissile material. This paper addresses the criticality safety considerations which could be incorporated in the design of pyrochemical gloveboxes to satisfy the contingency requirements and to maintain subcriticality under the normal and abnormal operating conditions.

• Research Organization: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-48
• OSTI ID: 5643373
• Report Number(s): UCRL-JC-107576; CONF-910993--6; ON: DE91015299
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

055001* -- Nuclear Fuels-- Safeguards
Inspection
& Accountability-- Technical Aspects
73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS
98 NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT, SAFEGUARDS, AND PHYSICAL PROTECTION
CRITICALITY
DESIGN
ENGINEERING
EQUIPMENT
FISSILE MATERIALS
FISSIONABLE MATERIALS
GLOVEBOXES
LABORATORY EQUIPMENT
MATERIALS
MONTE CARLO METHOD
Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)
PYROCHEMICAL REPROCESSING
Processing, Handling, and Storing Fissile Materials
REPROCESSING
SAFETY ENGINEERING
SEPARATION PROCESSES