Exposure Risks and Intervention Possibilities in Solution Criticality Accidents

Conference · Sun Jun 02 00:00:00 EDT 1991 · Transactions of the American Nuclear Society

OSTI ID:5763465

All accidental criticality excursions are accompanied by neutron and gamma radiation that creates two possible types of radiation risk: (1) immediate risk for the personnel directly exposed; and (2) deferred risk in the case where an intervention team is required in the postaccident phase. These aspects, or more specifically dose measurement and the possibility of calling on intervention teams, were carefully examined in the CRAC and SILENE criticality accident experimental study programs carried out at the Valduc criticality laboratory. The resulting data are undeniably valuable as part of a nuclear safety policy that aims to evaluate and prevent the risks of accident situations, to define the consequences of such situations, and to propose an intervention strategy if the need arises. Note, however, that if criticality accident detection systems help to limit the doses to which personnel may be exposed, they provide no information that could contribute to accident diagnosis nor to understanding the postaccident phase, while such information is essential in deciding whether or not to call on an intervention team. This explains why the Commissariat a l'Energie Atomique decided to perfect its detection system, which is now capable of monitoring accident evolution, providing valuable information on dose rates.

• Research Organization: Commissariat a l'Energie Atomique, Is-sur-Tille (France)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)
• OSTI ID: 5763465
• Report Number(s): CONF-910603-; CODEN: TANSA
• Journal Information: Transactions of the American Nuclear Society, Vol. 63; Conference: Annual meeting of the American Nuclear Society (ANS), Orlando, FL (United States), 2-6 Jun 1991; ISSN 0003-018X
• Publisher: American Nuclear Society
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

42 ENGINEERING
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
98 NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT, SAFEGUARDS, AND PHYSICAL PROTECTION
FUEL FABRICATION PLANTS
RADIATION ACCIDENTS
FUEL REPROCESSING PLANTS
CRITICALITY
MITIGATION
RADIATION DOSES
ACCURACY
AQUEOUS SOLUTIONS
CEA
EMERGENCY PLANS
GAMMA RADIATION
GEOMETRY
NEUTRONS
PERSONNEL
RADIATION MONITORS
REACTIVITY
RESEARCH PROGRAMS
RISK ASSESSMENT
SAFETY
SILENE REACTOR
TEST FACILITIES
URANIUM NITRATES
ACCIDENTS
ACTINIDE COMPOUNDS
BARYONS
DISPERSIONS
DOSES
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
ENRICHED URANIUM REACTORS
EXPERIMENTAL REACTORS
FERMIONS
FRENCH ORGANIZATIONS
HADRONS
IONIZING RADIATIONS
MATHEMATICS
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
MIXTURES
MONITORS
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
NITRATES
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NUCLEAR FACILITIES
NUCLEONS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
RADIATIONS
REACTORS
RESEARCH AND TEST REACTORS
RESEARCH REACTORS
SOLUTIONS
URANIUM COMPOUNDS
ZERO POWER REACTORS
Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)
Accidental Criticality Excursions
Radiation Risk
420203* - Engineering- Handling Equipment & Procedures
054000 - Nuclear Fuels- Health & Safety
050700 - Nuclear Fuels- Fuels Production & Properties
050800 - Nuclear Fuels- Spent Fuels Reprocessing