ML19256B774
| ML19256B774 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Crane  |
| Issue date: | 06/05/1979 |
| From: | Budnitz R NRC OFFICE OF NUCLEAR REGULATORY RESEARCH (RES) |
| To: | Levine S NRC OFFICE OF NUCLEAR REGULATORY RESEARCH (RES) |
| Shared Package | |
| ML19256B766 | List: |
| References | |
| TASK-TF, TASK-TMR NUDOCS 7908290030 | |
| Download: ML19256B774 (3) | |
Text
- Qjj9,,f & IYC MfoSA.)
$7.p.yg n ./Y,./Al-l: %'o, UNITED STATES (,* ? g~s.. j NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION WMMINGTON, D. C. 20555 r 5..e: ( ~ .gv f 9 Jlm F IU t F.IMOFANDUM F00.: Saul Levine, Dire ter Office of Nuclear Regulatery Research FRCM: Robert J. Sudnit:, Deputy Direct:r Office of Nuclear Regulatery Research SU5 JECT: INFORF/, TION ABOUT INDIVIDUALS AND ORGANIIATIONS CDNTACTED BY ME DURING FIRST FEW DAYS Ar icR THE TMI ACCIDENT I am res:ending to the memorandum of May 31, 1979, fr:c E. K. C rnell, " Request for Information from Pre.<idential C:ctnission." I have gene over my leg book f r that period, and have found seven outside individuals wi:n wnce I had substantive contact. In each case, my c:nta was the only or the primary NRC : ntact. Besides these individuals, there is a large number with wh:m I spoke but for whom the ':rimary contact.was you or T. Murley. I assume that you and he are assembling y:ur cwn lists, similar :: mine, and tnat you will cover these other indivicuals. For ea:h individual, I will indicate their organi:ational affiliati:n,. address and teleph ne number, as well as a brief description of what ini r-.a:icn was furnisned. 1. Dr. Richard L. Garvin (I.3.M., Yorktown Heights, NY 105gE, (gl4) 9'5-2555). On Saturcay morning, March 31, I was called at h ce by Dr. Garwin, an old friend, and he provided a nurter of iceas :: me about tnings that one mign; attempt :: ce to eliminate er reduce tne pressure frem hydrogen within the primary system of the TMI react:r. His ideas included putting a snake-like tube into the .l9l2 g vessel, and using chemical means t: ::rtine hydrogen with other subs tances. He also gave me scre insignt into h:w i=portant the back reaction is ir calculating the shock pressure in a fast bum er detonation cf hydrogen in a vessel like the TMI reacter vessel. He referred me to Dr. Harry Petschek cf AVC0 (see below) f:r assis ance on tne hydrogen ecchustion problem. Later that date, and acain en Sunday, April 1, I talked with Dr. Garwin by telephone, :: fcilew us en his understanding Of pressure sheck waves, s:cething ab:ut which he had extensive advice. 2. Dr. Harry Petschek (AVC0 Everett Research Laboratory, Evsrett, F.A 02i49, (oli) 35-30C0). On Dr. Garwin's suggestion I called Dr. Petschek en March 31, finally reaching hi:n at bece in late 79082 9fo $o
O 2 Saul Levine d sece He respended im. ediately by indicating that he an O issue of hydrogen colleagues could assist in understanding the a:ter vessel such as morning. combustibility and combustien kinetics in a relater I spoke, i of oxygen in two er three times, to Dr. Petschek an at TMI. They worked on the cuestions of what concentrat enbus pure hydrogen would be the threshold for c:: be present at TMI at the temperatures and pressures thought d he reported Dr. Fetsenek also referred me to to be a highly-back semetime Sunday on these.Dr. Bernard Lewis in P regarded expert in just these same issues. Research, Inc., 1016 3533). I finally Dr. Bernard Lewis (C0mbustion and Explesives15222, (412 Dhver Builcing,'Fi: sturgh, PA 3. reached Cr. Lewis, en referral frem Dr. PetscHe ac lity of hydrogen and oxygen; indeed, he is the coauther of theHe and an d April 1. morning, worked through that day and part o ned the physical on this subject. gave it ortant advice on the issues that gov ditions such as were ion threshold, thought, to exist at TMI. rhustien oxygen in pure hydregen that would be a 00mbustm j talked at length : and explosion, and what would be the im:act e time after midday He reported back his preliminary conclusiens secein mitmern on Sunday, April 1, and his final conclusionsHe calcula + tion thresholds, y$ f ast burning situation vs. starting pressure), deton Monday, April 2. His insicht heat release, flame temperatures, and etner parameter g was valuable in providing a perspective enan esult of what was r h @k calculated using approximations. (Brookhaven National Laboratory. Upt was referred to us by Dr. H. J. Xcuts g Dr. Harold A. Schwa-: Dr. Schwar: I incident
- pr vide
..w e 4. of SNL, who called several times during the T r o sei. eco 4330). d Q i n ratas of @hi April 1 en calculating the production and rec:=binat advice. y{ oxygen in the TMI prirary coolant water.at hec h him during the y He repcrted en the censiderations that ES d definitively that weekend were at his h:me. were involved in his calculations, and showe %p? l in cuch oxygen exygen generation fr:c radiolysis would rot resu t ocia acti:n with the $; d i in the gas phase, because of tne rec:cbinat on re assu:md large hydrogen gas overpressure an Schwar:' y% work early on the merning of 4rf1 1, in =y reme day. Dr. Schwar: hydrogen. y firmed up until secetime shortly af ter midday o d tb il 2?. filed a description of his calculatien with NRC on Apr continued witz: w9 y,4 1912 047 I a* -.w
u Q0 k ul Levine 3 5. Dr. Hein: Heine-ann (Lawrence Serkeley Laboratory, University of' Cai1fornia, serxeley, CA 94720, (415) 435-5000). I teleph:ned Dr. Heinerann in early morning of 5'aturday, March 31 to follcw up a suggestien of Dr. Garvin that the oil c:cpanies might have expertise in snake-like methods fer extracting hydrogen fr:m a pressure vessel like the TM1 reacter vessel. Dr. Heinecann is a chemi:al engineer at my forrer laborat:ry in Berkeley and is a c lleague and friend there, who spent m:st of his life working for Mobil Oil Corporation. Dr. Heinerann referred me to Dr. J. Penick of Mcbil, wh:m I called subsequently. Dr. Heinetann also dis:ussed witn me the questien of addition of catalyti: chemical agents to reduce the hydregen in water solution. Dr. Heinemann gave ce the names of several catalysis chemists wh =ight have expertise in this tatter, and also enlisted in advice of two Berkeley celleagues. We talked several times ever the weekend of March 31-April 1 but I turned ever tne entire problem of chemical hydrogen remeval to others in NR;, and did n t concern myself with the issue directly. 5. Mr. J:se:h E. Penick_ (Nsbil Oil Corporation,150 E. 42 Street, h e. Y o r k., N Y 10017, (212) 52S-9757). I conta:ted Mr. Fenick en Saturday m:rning, Mar:h 31, en referral frec Dr. Heinemann. He said that he th7ught Mobil c:uld assist'HRC with advice en the availability ef snake-like devices to extra:t gas fr:: a TMI-like pressure vessel. He called back later during the weekend (I recall his return centact as oc:urring en Sunday, April 1) and indicated that cevices such as we sought were net readily available in the H::il Corporation, and unlikely to be available elsewtere in the petr:leum industry. The problem was that the path into the rea::cr vessel fr:c the outside to the upper doce was t:c : rtueus for the use of the devices that did exist, and the fabricati:n of a special device would be quite difficult. 7. Dr. Laura Che-ubini (17 Pandever Road, Sillerica, KA Ci321, (517) e67-9659. Dr. Cnerubini called me en her cwn en Saturday. Par:h 31, with a suggestion of chemical means t: reduce er eliminate hydrecen dissolved in the rea::cr coc.lant water. I do not knew hcw Dr. Citerubini received a reference to me. The method was to use alcae that trap bydr: gen frec solutien by presence of free electron ai:eptors. Since I was nct expert in this matter I turned it over t: others at NRC fer follow-up. H: wever, by the time anything =cre c:uld be d:ne with this suggestion, the percepticn of the impcrtante of a "hyd-Ogen bubMe" had diminished, and I think tnat no further follcw-up oc:urred. gLAL.Ad 1912 048 Robert J. Budnit:, Deputy Director-Office of Nuclear Regulat ry Resear:n c:: T. Mur1ey}}