Safety Aspects of Gas Centrifuge Enrichment Plants
Uranium enrichment by gas centrifuge is a commercially proven, viable technology. Gas centrifuge enrichment plant operations pose hazards that are also found in other industries as well as unique hazards as a result of processing and handling uranium hexafluoride and the handling of enriched uranium. Hazards also found in other industries included those posed by the use of high-speed rotating equipment and equipment handling by use of heavy-duty cranes. Hazards from high-speed rotating equipment are associated with the operation of the gas centrifuges themselves and with the operation of the uranium hexafluoride compressors in the tail withdrawal system. These and related hazards are discussed. It is included that commercial gas centrifuge enrichment plants have been designed to operate safely.
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)
- OSTI ID:
- 6930300
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-8711195-; CODEN: TANSA; TRN: 88-028630
- Journal Information:
- Transactions of the American Nuclear Society, Vol. 55; Conference: American Nuclear Society Winter Meeting , Los Angeles, CA (United States), 15 Nov 1987; ISSN 0003-018X
- Publisher:
- American Nuclear Society
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
98 NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT, SAFEGUARDS, AND PHYSICAL PROTECTION
CENTRIFUGE ENRICHMENT PLANTS
SAFETY
ACCIDENTS
CRITICALITY
ENRICHED URANIUM
ERRORS
HUMAN FACTORS
RELIABILITY
URANIUM FLUORIDES
ACTINIDE COMPOUNDS
ACTINIDES
ELEMENTS
FLUORIDES
FLUORINE COMPOUNDS
HALIDES
HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
INDUSTRIAL PLANTS
ISOTOPE ENRICHED MATERIALS
ISOTOPE SEPARATION PLANTS
MATERIALS
METALS
NUCLEAR FACILITIES
URANIUM
URANIUM COMPOUNDS
Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)
Uranium Enrichment
Gas Centrifuge
Unique Hazards
Hazards
054000* - Nuclear Fuels- Health & Safety
050502 - Nuclear Fuels- Uranium Enrichment- Centrifugation- (-1989)