New Developments Under Consideration at the CEA for Criticality Accident Detection

Conference · Sun Nov 16 00:00:00 EST 1986 · Transactions of the American Nuclear Society

OSTI ID:6732666

Barbry, F. ^[1]; Prigent, R. ^[1]

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1. Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) (France)

In spite of precautions to prevent criticality accidents from occurring in fuel cycle installations, there is nevertheless some very low probability of risk that remains. In this eventuality, and because the Commissariat a l'Energie Atomique (CEA) is involved in the vast French electronuclear program which includes reprocessing, a sustained effort by safety authorities has been devoted to accident study problems and particularly to criticality accidents, to be able to give optimum warning time to operators, order evacuation of personnel, and to set up an intervention strategy in the shortest time possible. The CRAC and SILENE experimental facilities in the 1970s defined a new generation of criticality accident detection systems known as EDAC, manufactured and sold by the French Intertechnique Company. Now, in light of the two main conclusions resulting from these test programs, namely, the difficulty of defining a standard accident and the fact that it is impossible to establish a dose/fission number ratio, the detection system in service at present corresponds to the following essential physical criteria: 1. It is capable of covering all accident kinetics. 2. The sensors used give a total dose response in neutrons and gammas.

• Research Organization: Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) (France)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)
• OSTI ID: 6732666
• Report Number(s): CONF-861102-; CODEN: TANSA
• Journal Information: Transactions of the American Nuclear Society, Vol. 53; Conference: American Nuclear Society and Atomic Industrial Forum Joint Meeting , Washington, DC (United States), 16 Nov 1986; ISSN 0003-018X
• Publisher: American Nuclear Society
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
42 ENGINEERING
98 NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT, SAFEGUARDS, AND PHYSICAL PROTECTION
CRITICALITY
DETECTION
NUCLEAR FACILITIES
ACCIDENTS
FISSILE MATERIALS
PERFORMANCE
PROBABILITY
RADIATION DOSES
REACTION KINETICS
REPROCESSING
SAFETY
SILENE REACTOR
DOSES
ENRICHED URANIUM REACTORS
EXPERIMENTAL REACTORS
FISSIONABLE MATERIALS
KINETICS
MATERIALS
REACTORS
RESEARCH AND TEST REACTORS
RESEARCH REACTORS
SEPARATION PROCESSES
ZERO POWER REACTORS
Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)
Criticality Accidents
Precautions
Risk Evaluation
Detection
054000* - Nuclear Fuels- Health & Safety
050700 - Nuclear Fuels- Fuels Production & Properties
050800 - Nuclear Fuels- Spent Fuels Reprocessing
420203 - Engineering- Handling Equipment & Procedures