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U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

FFTF (Fast Flux Test Facility) cesium trap design, installation, and operating experience

Conference ·
OSTI ID:6870079
The Fast Flux Test Facility (FFTF) is a 400-MWt, sodium-cooled reactor located on the Hanford Site near Richland, Washington, USA. The FFTF is owned by the U.S. Department of Energy and is operated by the Westinghouse Hanford Company. The FFTF was designed to test fuels and materials for use in liquid metal reactors. Since initial operation in 1982, anticipated breaches of experimental fuel pins have released fission products, including cesium, into the primary sodium. Because of its high volatility, cesium vaporizes into the cover gas space, where it condenses on components and equipment and is transported into the cover gas outlet. Because of the long half-life of /sup 137/Cs, these deposits result in long-term, local radiation levels that make contact maintenance difficult. Thus, a cesium trap was installed in FFTF to reduce the cesium level in the sodium. The trap could also permit a Run Beyond Cladding Breach (RBCB) program without compromising the sodium purity. Approximately 12 years of operating experience with a cesium trap at the Experimental Breeder Reactor II (EBR-II), located at Idaho Falls, Idaho provided the design basis for the FFTF cesium trap. 2 refs., 8 figs., 3 tabs.
Research Organization:
Westinghouse Hanford Co., Richland, WA (USA)
DOE Contract Number:
AC06-87RL10930
OSTI ID:
6870079
Report Number(s):
WHC-SA-0134; CONF-881009-2; ON: DE88013670
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English