ML20031B159

Technical Rept,Quarantine/Radwaste Tank Poisoning Project

ML20031B159
Person / Time
Site:	07001113
Issue date:	07/01/1981
From:	Eberle R GENERAL ELECTRIC CO.
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ML20031B157	List: ML20031B156 ML20031B158 ML20031B159
References
NUDOCS 8109300427
Download: ML20031B159 (9)

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TECHNICAL REPORT t

QUARANTINE /RADWASTE TANK POIS0NING PROJECT

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JULY 1,1981

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y R.V. EBER E, PROCESS ENGINEER PROCESS ENGINEERING WILMINGTON MANUFACTURING DEPARTMENT GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY WILMINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA 1,.

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SUMMARY

OF PROJECT This project will install nucle 3r poMn panels between the FM0

. quarantine tank system,.The neutron absorbing material contained in these poison panels will insure against a criticality accident due to urenium sludge buildup within these tanks.

f II.-Pf.ESENTSITUATION There are fourteen stainless steel tanks twenty feet long by ten feet in height and 5 7/8" inside dimension installed in the Rad Waste Room in the FM0 building. The tanks are caged by a complete angle iron frame mounted, approximately twenty inches off the floor.

The tanks are placed between ten inch. slabs of concrete and spaced from the concrete slabs by rigid angle iron braces.

These tanks accept the ADU and GEC0 proc.ss liquids for processing and analysis prior to' discharge to the Waste Treatment plant. The original criticality analysis performed in 1965 demonstrated.these tanks to be safe up to 4% enrichment.

Recent measurement of these tanks disclose a 5 7/8" iriside diameter at the widest point, also recent settling tests performed on GEC0 powder (which in the past had been a small percentage of the plant throughput but which will in the future dominate all conversion activities) indicated a higher density sludge than found on early settling tests performed on combined ADU and U02 As a result of the tank diameter being larger than originally analyzed and GEC0 settling tests resulting in a more dense sludge than previously experienced, a re-evaluation of the tanks criticality safety was required. This evaluation resulted in a significant-increase.of routine criticality controls placed on the tanks due to the anticipated increase in GEC0 production.

III.

FM0 QUARANTINE SYSTEM DESCRIPTION Rad Waste Accumulator Tank (Tanks 1 & 2) See Figure 1

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Approximately 5,000 gallons per day of liquid enter these tanks and are routinely cycled through the AS26 centrifuges or the Bird Vortec Centrifuge to clarify-the liquids.

The liquids are discharged to the 3 + 4 + 5 tanks, recycled, sampled, and analyzed for U content before discharge to the chemical lagoon.

Use of ' air agitation, tank recycle, and detergent content of the liquids normally force most uranium solids to be in suspensior no that the solids

- are routinely removed by the centrifuge used to clar",.he discharge.

p Quarantine Tanks i

These tanks are used for recycle of over spec quarantines (greater than 150 ppmu) and for deposit of HUF spills and conversion floor liquids.

branium contained in this tank is routinely precipitated with ammonia, k

e).

i DQuarantineTanks(Continued) air sparged and pumped through the dewatering centrifuge for solids removal.

The liquid from this tank is deposited in "C" quarantine tank and in turn passed through the inertial filter.

These tanks are usually operated at a level near empty to allow for recycle of over spec.quaran-tine liquids.

The volume of liquids processed througn these tanks normally range between a minimum of 300 to a maximum of 3,000 gallons /

day with a 150-5,000 ppm U content.

,C Quarantine Tanks The "C" quarantine tanks process up to 60,000 gallons / day with an average uranium content of 150-200 ppm U entering the tank and inertial filter system. The filter system concentrates the uranium in this tank and discharges the clarified liquid.

Approximately 1-5 gallons / minute of this tank is cycled through the dewatering centrifuge to remove solid a"-

uranium deposited from the ADU clarifiers and tank liquids.

A total of 3-7 cans of sludge are removed daily from these tanks through the centri fuge. This tank is normally agitated by air sparging and the liquids are recycled through the tanks at a rate of 400-600 gallons /

minute.

(The flow passing through the inertial filters.)

In all cases (accumulator tanks, "b" & "C") the liquids enter at the top of the tank on the south side and circulate to the bottom of the tank on the north side to the pump suction. The tank bottom is also slanted to the pump suction.

Each tank has an air sparge level indicator in the tank near the center of the tank. Additionally, air sparging of

-the tanks is performed in the middle of the tank, thus the tank circu-iation, air sparging, tank level, and solids removal of all these tanks tend to keep the solid level in the bottom of the tank at a somewhat uniform depth.

Tanks 3, 4, 5, A, B These tanks are utilized only for discharging clarified liquid to the Waste Treatment plant and chemical lagoon. The uranium content of these tanks is analyzed by the uranium monitor or samples submitted to the laboratory before discharge.

These tanks normally contain water of a U content of less than 100 ppm.

Any values above this content must be recycled before discharge.

These tanks are recycled constantly and completely drained after aach filling the Rad Waste tanks nearly once/

hour and the fluoride tanks every twenty minutes.

In summary:

Tanks Normal U Content Normal Use Analyses Rad Waste 200-5000 ppm Accumulation &

None Accumulator (2)

Clarification Rad Waste

<100 ppm Analysis Dis-Laboratory Discharge (3) charge of Liquid Page 2 J

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c Tanks 3,'4,5,A,B.(Continued)

Tanks Normal U Content -

Normal 'Jse Analyses C -Quarantine'(2) 200-5000 ppm Inertial Filter

- None

+ Desludging DJQuarantine (2)

=150-5000 ppm Storage Recycle None

+ Desludging B Quaran' tine /.

Discharge.

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<l50 ppm Analysis +

Monitor

-Discharge A Quarantine /

Discharge (2)

(<l50 ppm, Analysis +

Monitor Discharge

- E, Tank currently under.in.stallation will be used for additional quarantine capacity. ~A top view of the complete quarantine tank array is as shown in Figure 1.

IV.

DESCRIPTION OF POIS0N PANELS Sheets of cadmium.020 thick and a piece of 1" thick polyethylene are sandwiched and secured between sheets of 304 stainless steel welded on all edges-to form a sealed plate assembly (see Figure 2).

This plate is placed against the quarantine tank framework and fixed in place.

(See Figure 3). The entire assembly (sheathed cadmium plates and poly-ethylene sheets):is locked into place-against the tank wall by insertion of vertical rods.

These rods will securely wedge the poison material i

between the tank framework and the concrete wall separating each tank.

These panels will insure against a criticality accident within these tanks and eliminate the possibility of process contamination by cadmium by completely sealing and protecting the cadmium plates.

Each panel contains a 1/4" tube fitting for pressure checking the panel integrity after fabrication and after panels have been installed on the tanks.

One.hundred sixty eight panels (40" x 94" x 1.2") were fabricated and installed on the sides of the tanks as described.

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FIGURE 1 COMPLETE QUARANTINE TANK ARRAY

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GEN ER AL(J ELECTRIC sDirector - ONMSS

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1 September 8,.1981 4 - ATTACHMENT 3

~ RECOMMENDED WORDING'FOR REQUESTED LICENSE AMENDMENT The recommended wording for th'e requ'ested amendment to SNM-1097 (as it appearsiin Section 4'.2.2.5 and 4.2.2.6-of the 5/27/81 license renewal application) is as follows:

The use of fixed neutron absorber. systems as geometric contiels shall require that:

c The effectiveness of the neutron absorber-system is demonstrated utilizing validated calculational methods.

o The fixed neutron absorber system must be non-combustible.

..b o The integrity of the fixed neutron absorber system must be verified on a periodic schedule compatible with,the rates of corrosion and deterioration credible to the process system.

o The fixed neutron absorber system must be designed to withstand all credible industrial accidents and natural events (such as hurricanes, earthquakes, etc.)

Whenever criticality control is directly dependent on the integrity of physical barriers or neutron absorbers, the structure shall be designed to assure against loss of.ategrity through foreseeable accident conditions such as fire, impact, melting, corrosion or leaka'ge of materials.

9 C;.-M. Vaughan

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L1CENS ' AMENDMENT "

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[jj William O. Miller, License Fee Management Branch, ADM

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..l, MATERIALS LICENSE AMENDMENT CLASSIFICATION

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Applicant:

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License No:

Jx>At -/097 Fee Category:

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Received:

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/ISI LApplicant's classification:

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The above application for amendment has been reviewed by NMSS in accordance with 8170.31 of Part 170, and is classified as follows:

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1.

Safety and Environmental Amendments to Licenses in Fee Cateaories'1A throuch 1H,'2A, 28, 2C, and 4A (a)

Major safety and environmental

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(b) fiinor safety and environmental (c) _

Safety and environmental (Categories ID through 1G only)

(d)

Administrative-

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2 Justification for reclassification:

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The application was filed (a) pursuant to written NRC request and the amendment is being issued for the convenience u --

oftheCommission,or(b)

Other (State reason):

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Signature f0 LJ Division of Fuel Cycle & Material

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