ML19224D230
| ML19224D230 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Crane  |
| Issue date: | 04/05/1979 |
| From: | Biehl W NATIONAL AERONAUTICS & SPACE ADMINISTRATION |
| To: | Schwinghamer NATIONAL AERONAUTICS & SPACE ADMINISTRATION |
| Shared Package | |
| ML19224D231 | List: |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 7907110139 | |
| Download: ML19224D230 (3) | |
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49 U Apn.' 5, 197 9 NOTE TO:
EH01/Mr. Schwinghame:
FROM:
EH31/Mr. Riehl SU3 JECT:
Technical Support to Three Mile Island Nuclear Power Plant Incident -
Pursuant to a recuest from the Center Director on April 1, I provided technical support as a "combus: ion expert" a: the Three Mile Island Nucler.: Power Plant, Pennsylvaria.
Most of Sunday, April 1, was spent at the site, where I met and provided technical advice on the flammabilitf of hydrogen in air and oxygen to the Chai=an of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Mr. Joseph Hendrie; the Chai=an of the Board of Metropolitan Edison Power Company, Mr. William Kun:; and several other officials - as Mr. Howard Dietkamp and Mr. Jack Herbein (Metropolitan Edison Power Company).
Sunday evening I was taken to the Na:ional Guard Amory. Middletown, Pennslyvania (1. 5 miles away) where technical advisory supper: groups were being set up.
There I met Mr. Ed Zebrowski, to whose group I was assigned. For the next several days I provided support in four major areas:
Establishment of " Redline" Flamma,bility Limits for the Gas (1) in the Bubble in the Reactor Several different sets of numbers have been reported by A"eren:
groups. I investigated these in the litera:ure, by discussion with several technical organizations, and prepared a " white paper" of recommended limits. Prior to issuance, the contents ere coordinated with and un-officially approved by each of the groups. A copy of this report is I
att. ached (A::achmen: No.1) and has been ser: to each of the participants
' I therein (per their recuest).,
(2) Review ef Flammability Ascects of Hvdrocen in Ccntainment Room 5
Some of the contents of the bubble in the reae:e r were being
- ransferred into the surrounding containmen: room (normally air a: -1.1 psia). The hydrogen centent thereir was between 2 and 2. 7 M
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percent (by volume). Methods of removal were considered, and a "recombiner" selected. Flammability and fire prevention aspects of installation and use of the recombiner were reviewed and evaluated.
A summary report was prepared (Attachment No. 2).
(3) Waste Gas Storace Tank Flammability Hazards some of the
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In addition to transfer into the containment room, reactor bueble gases were transferred to waste gas storage tanks. The
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contents therein were reported to be 53% hydrogen (46% nitrogen, 1%
other). These tanks have relief valves which could vent the radioactive gas mixture. In order to preclude filling the tanks to relief ven'ing,
=ethods of transfer of some of the contents are under conside cation (by Burns and Rowe, Inc. ).
l-The long term approach is by transfer thrmugh a suitable piping system and a charcoal absorber (for removal of most of the radioactive components) to additional storage tanbs. At a lacer date, the remaining gas would be burned in a flare stack.
Suggestions were made to minimize flammable hazards to Mr. Frank Patti, Chief Nuclear Fngineer of Burns and Rowt., Inc.
(responsible for design, fabrication, and installation of tbs system).
Purge procedures will be prepared within several days, and will be prc,vided subsequently for my review and corr.ments.
Mr. Patti also inquired whether I may be able to assist in inspection of the piping af ter installation and prior to activation on-site
-i at the Three Mile Island Plant. I informed him that this probably can be arranged and I would consult NASA Manage:$1ent along this line.
It is understood that it will be at least a week before the above system could be used. Contingency planning, in the event of approach of
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b relief venting prior to the above measure, is also utderway. In that case relief venting back to the containment room rather than the atmo-sphere is under consideration. Flamnability aspects of this operation also were discussed and suggestions and maximum flow rates provided (Attachment No. 3).
.r (4) Fire Sureres sion of Hvdrocen Flammable Mixture s, As a contingency, pursuant to a recuest for recer umen:iation of a method of suppres sing a fire if a flammable mixture of hyd-ocen :n air or c::vgen thould develop, I am currently dcing a literature s earch m
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and personal contacts.
It currently appears that fo r the s e particular applications, bromotrifluoromethane (Freon 1301, Halon 1301, etc. ) probably would be more suitable, requiring only about o%
This has been established for aircraft I
by volume for fire,uppression.
However, test data of "1301" fir e s.
(jet fuel) and.normai industrial typs with hydrogen / air or hydrogen / oxygen mixtures has not yet been located.
A separate report on this will be prepared subsequently.
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-c W. A. Rien1 Non-Metallic Materials Division 3 Enclosures l-cc:
DA01/Dr. Lucas EA01/Mr. Kingsburf/Mr. Selew EH31/ Dr. Curry M
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