ML20052A995
| ML20052A995 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | 07001216 |
| Issue date: | 04/05/1971 |
| From: | Coulter G NAVY, DEPT. OF |
| To: | US ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION (AEC) |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20049A233 | List:
|
| References | |
| FOIA-81-428 1104-007, 1104-7, NUDOCS 8204290535 | |
| Download: ML20052A995 (7) | |
Text
uuwpus u 'igo_ r u ' i N G0 y
(((<fbg (' i)j I,
DEPARTMENT OF THE N AVY N AVAL UNDERS8~ A RESE ARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER SAN OlcGO. C ALIFoRNIA 92132 sH nts>Lv ncram to:
g g
g...,
Y 1104/ALS:vh
- ?'! w.
10330 Ser: 1104-007 5 APR 1973 From: Commander, Naval Undersea Research and Development Center To:
Chief, Division of Materials Licensing, U. S. Atomic Energy Commission, Washington, D. C.
20545 E
Via:
Commander, Naval Facilities Engineering-Command (Code 042) 1*
Subj : Special Nuclear Material License SNM-1154; additional infcrmation concerning Ref:
(a) NUC ltr 703/ALS:vh 10330 Ser: 703-16 dtd 15 May 1970 (b) AEC ltr DM2:MB:RLL 70-1216, SNM-1154, Ammend. 2 dtd 9 July 1970 Encl:
(1) Test Program Environmental Tests of Plutonium Molybdenum Cerm.et Fuel for Radioisotopic Sources 1.
Ecference (a) outlined a test program for environmental tests of plutonium-238 as solid solution cermets. An amendment to SNM-1154, reference (b), was issued to cover this program.
2.
The planned program has been modified to conduct tests on plutonium molybdenum cerirets instead of solid solution cermets. Inasmuch as dif ferent physical and chemical characteristics of test samples are involved, the test program has been revised to reflect these changes and is submitted as enclosure (1).
3.
It is requested that the propoced changes be reviewed and that License SNM-ll54 he amended to cover these chan es.
/
/V N
' fy) M u.. M VI. COULTER a
~
Dy direction n
, ' ' '* ) 4 cy ( y j g :g[
^
-y
%.6 a
8 e
,di, m
m 8204290535 a
.f m
, r,.F
~
r n
m I s s
LB, 5
a a
u-TEST PROGRAM
. _,_ q2 ENVIRONMENTAL TESTS OF PLUT0NIU!! MOLYBDENUM CERMET FUEL FOR RADIOISOTOPIC SOURCES 1.
General Information: Under the Sponsorship of the Space Electric Power Office, AEC, the Naval Undersea Research and Development Center is planning a test program to measure the effects of the ocean environment on the physical and chemical characteristics of plutonium molybdenum cercet fuels (PMC) used as radioisotopic heat sources.
These fuels are in the form of 238 Puo2 sintered beads, clad with molybdenum, and hot-pressed into discs.
They were prepared by the Los Alnos Scientific Laboratory. A typical disc is approximately 2 inches in diameter, 0.21 inches thick, containing 100 Era =s of Pu-238.
Preliminary tests have been conducted by LASL on physical and chemical characteristics of the discs.
Scaled-down dises, 0.21" thick and 0.50" in disreter, containing 5.3 gm Pu-238 have been subjected to sea water solubility tests since December 1970. An initial solubility of 20 micrograms was noted in the first two days; following that 5 micrograms dissolved in the next month. At present the solubility rate appears to be 0.25 micrograms per day.
It is planned that this progran will extend over a period of two years, starting in FY 1971.
A general objective of the program is to evaluate the consequences of the entry to the ocean environrent of a radioisotope thermoelectric
~
Eencrator fueled with solid solution cercets. The ocean test introduce temperature, tidal current, and biotic effects not available in the labor-atory.
~
2.
Test Site
Description:
The program will be carried out at the Marine Environmental Test Station, located on the protected (=ainland) side of San Cle= ente Island, California. The island, itself, is located approximately 60 miles from the nearest cainland.
Figure 1 shows the location of San Clemente Island with respect to the Los Angeles area and the other channel islands. Also shown on Figure 1 is the north end of the island where all l
of the facilities to be used by this project are located. San'Clemente l
Island is under the sole jurisdiction of the Naval Undersea Research and Development Center. Entry to the island is restricted to personnel authorized by the Navy.
The emplacement area vill be the shallow water just off shore of the Marine Environment Test Station Site, at North Light Harbor. The waters contiguous to the North Light Harbor are not norcally used for projects other than those conducted at the Marine Environeent Test Station. The Test Area is shown in Figure 2 3.
Test Proeram: The test program involves immersion of four of the scaled down PMC Samples placed in ocean bottom caterial (sand, mud, organic material) l l
I
~
W T
in an exposure chamber which will be implanted on the ocean bottom at about,
a 50 foot depth of water. A sketch of the exposure chanber is shown in Figure 3.
The lifting bridle of the exposure chamber will be protected electrolytically by the addition of a zine sacrificial anode.
At '6 month intervals, a sanple will be removed, given a microscopic inspection and shipped back to LASL.
Special discs, identical to those on which the preliminary tests have been conducted by LASL, will be fabricated for the test program.
Before immersion in the sea bottom material, each disc will be presoaked for two days in the sea water in order that any initially soluble material may be removed.
No water will be circulated through the exposure chambers during the test. The chambers will be vented to the ocean to permit convection interchange of sea water and biotic material between the chamber and the ocean.
4.
Rad-Safety Measures: Upon receipt of the test samples a complete conitoring survey will be made, including neutron and gamma dose rates, surface and removable alpha activitiy and air sampling. The samples will be opened in a glove box and immediately immersed, in the glove box, in sea water.
Appropriate protective clothing, including gloves and coveralls, will be worn during sample handling.
All personnel vill be monitored for alpha contamination during and af ter sample handling.
Film badges, including beta-gamma and neutron monitoring film, will be worn by all personnel in the experimental area.
The divers who retrieve the exposure chamber will be monitored with underwater thermoluminescent dosimeters.
Each time the exposure chamber is removed from the water, contamination t
control measures will be employed.
The work area vill be papered, the chamber will be monitored by wipes and by direct monitoring methods, samples of the sludge and water will be collected for plutonium-238 analysis and an area survey will be made upon completion. Discs will be removed from the exposure chamber by handling tongs, and immediately placed in a covered container for transport to the examination area.
Radiation and contamination control measures will be utilized during examination of the discs.
The examination will be confined to a glove box, the work area vill be protected with a removable covering - air monitoring for alpha activity will be conducted and a thorough contamination survey will be done upon completion.
l Upon completion of an examination, the disc will be packaged in accordance with Department of Transportation requirements and shipped to LASL.
(a; ggy r
Health physics personnel (the Radiological Safety Officer) will be present for monitoring services during renoval of the exposure chanber from the water, recovery and examination of samples and re-enplacement of the exposure chamber.
Alpha monitoring instrue.entation available on-site at San Clemente Island will include a Technical Associated Juno, an Eberline PACIS and an Eberline PAC 3G.
Sample preparation and counting facilities are available at the NUC San DieFo site.
~
Urine sampling and analysis will be perforced if, based on survey results, the internal uptake of plutenium is deemed possible.
Analysis of urine, sea water and bottom material for plutonium will in general be by wet ashing a,s necessary, chemical separation and concentration, planchet mounting 'and counting a gas flow counter.
Upon completion of the test progran the contents of the exposure chamber will be evaluated for plutonium contamination and disposed of through a licensed waste disposal contractor if concentrations in excess of these listed in Coluen 2, Table II, Appendix B.10CFR20 are found.
9
a.
.ro 6
10 j
Point 7,
,1, TA'"*iO* *S 40 1
3 San Miguel Santa Crus Mugu pasadena p3 %
40 s jiJsland Island
' 4.,-- Q* dngele s I
\\
h o t$0'
'3 7
\\
t
/
. Long' Beach i
2 r.
Santa Rosa t
. :[1. :';
-'^ Seal Beach
~
]
Island
..y, f-.& lp3 d.
Santa Barba 4
Islandr
..u
.s s
..OW.S..w. ;......
e
- w.
\\-
- i San Nicholas o.
\\u s
h.ht '.e3 3'M;'{~gg.
\\\\-
{
t
~
-'~2
. p '
1 '~
Island a
Santa Catalina h,-
".#*L.. $
.w.
O Isla d u
~'
s.,, ' "..
'i han i
t s\\
100 NM 40 20
,y ;
-l t,
(
/
ie go h
D-l
- w ~-
i San Clernente
. es a Island
'/.Y[
. { \\. -
l' Pacific Ocean 6
- v. g g-t s
n.a:_..-- - -
- ~ ~ -~ = ~ ~
p'yfi.
\\
II:S*:7.t?.'EIT VAES f
f
.M.;
's TEST AREA
.w..
r.c.
\\
t
\\
- 3.y*'
3.k.
\\-
e
'T2.:.
't
\\
\\
\\
9;.0 %.
\\.
Qv 3
q.t.
\\
. n..-
~
S,' f'.
- 1
.g
\\
- !$, W CCVE P Q dN
[s.
\\
'S...<..t..
- ?/,
- .'STE.** TAC:?,I?.*
Yl
u W$$b Il\\'
~
- Q.- -
,I N.\\
n.
- r..~.u; ~. u,. %.. -
.s.:
\\
... r y
... a f.
p s,.
\\'
\\
.,k..
s...
s...
.t.
. '. 'l Figure 1 1
s
.a.'s a
0.Q,
/h....!
Sen Cter.cate*I: lend'.
Te::t, Sft.e er.d Arco V.e?
o 6.:#f;.-.
.3D
?AVED F. CAD
-'.e a
't 1
ma[
i
e.,
u N,. 1 1
1
. N-.
1
.. g m 5...s
--r.vi$sy.3.m.
g..
s
..g...
'rv.,r. t: w r-r t$,;/.Y.".J;},i.!
b.'l,., '
} Q. '.. yl%.:M!;[gf.;',. ;
Q fa
- N.,, h. m,f,,A..
',~b..>,'.
fh{
5 I
,?: t_., y..,.. l
. A '. $ -
.......:. c..i..
n
. e
- d. g.*p.
.m..
.[
g s[;4 6
.c..l:,'.,;.,s....grc.,%M, 'u
%.,. c.'t: n'S.{ ':\\.4 :... :;.- ~. -,
.h
,8 s-
.. ec
- 3
- ) 41?..' A y. e% 4...
7, ? it'.y!
a m'=.,
Qs
- d s
4. t.,y.t l s. k'..
9.-. c..
s
-..I
..r u c.< ::. s,,'. :
.:' c:,,;...,p.s,.ysy h, n.,
' :=,.
s,d Q' Q.t
- s. ;.
.t q
r u1
.?
..... + >
>r
.J,
-.: ~,,y
, a...
p -
i
- W. : n..y). '.: ;,.... s.t, y.?
s.
w
,,. ;. ': q,ts,ts &r.;. v.r. QC..,*:., s.Q...
h't.
M. m.J.J.s.t, s
\\s
. M V "D'..th, ',(* ~. :.
4 i.t - - - * ~ -. -
.M s.:. *.,.
- i.,..,.%
9.~.
8-s' d ).,,.
i L'< y. }1 i
p
_Q':i ';;d, ;h W{ tag::g q. 4.,-. '.
- 2
.1.W e
i,. 9
. fi,4.
CJ.-I, :
o
~
., 4 s.e.a,.r.q.;:.,n. yy.,...=
m a.s. ',
V.
-_ =~.-
- .. '; a O, * :
,v,. ".y.,e.<**/ >)t,y *.
. a.
... ::4 w.;
,x.-. f. v.
' C. a as g.s*
g,.
..}.e. *..
> ! y.
p.
...;.s
. :k...
e..
p i.,., c,,... f.
- , ;e, ;.
t
..t.
m,,.y g
5 J
, y'j r.,.h.T.f,s,. ry,g t;;,(j..'t.: s..
..y;
....s.,
.;L v.
g.
..y p
. h.;png. 4., ts.g.: x s,
L' g
. (.y
.s.
s,sk. Q:
- h
-c
,.)4
.p 3
' (... d* #?.e. p;1 T: r.;}../*.pl,*:f.. '.;, *..f.'". '..3 '.j,* '; <
.L
,.m. *,.T, Y.p
- s 3:O..:'
t--*'*
.t-t d
('/*,u i; sD
,_<5 ..':
, {. '
- i.j t, :t,f '... i,s'w' r.</,c i d. '.*. ~.
'c L
- i. t
. '.e; v.M.... y. I. ;.::
,w s_ __,.
.,,s... e
/
-,.o...
d
.W. a.
..,.. %,g,...'. ;,,.r.9,,,/l,;,',$. Y rj'g.l(i.
g is s,,s.
</
," r.,m.g y,6..,.
,I 1
,,., n.;
7....
4
, f,r..
p.
v
. : : s,: g.,;n. p c ~,~,:.T..s
, o. h c
.s.w
..u..
d
. c.
.G.;
M-a.q1
- t.
g, l q.p.k,0:p::
A 7.: r.G.4, t,'h.;;gy-s?.,.jg..,.;.e.,.
O
....s...'3.v n
,.. 4.W.<.~., t. w:. p/.,y...... s e
T..
t e:
- u....'., } >,.
I.L..
s..
t i
w... : +
- .e. <
, r.m i ij.:. : &. ib.
1.
- I
,w.c c
- r..;i....
A
.. r....:,..
m%.rs:y:.... r e...... e. -.,.:.
,u..m....
9
...o, s.. v.
.,. o.,
.. ~...
a w
c s... ~,..M ses y
....,a
.....:,y
..y.g y -e u.C,g 9
n
'9 :. sp,; +*::4 s.
** M ~..h,,, f ;W,.. mP.'i ;.dy)R,'.'d. a.'!,',$q c 9-r
- m.c:: c,
..sn:
.,.'r.;.. i "M.< r S,!.,:. : f *,. ;., ; ;,. f{. g.'.(
'[.
N j
g:g..
..W, S... e.y..
c c ?.:.t.';.o p.,y.a.'c,,.t.'..:. ;... c......;:.
u
.fc
/
.A h
D
' !n,.,*,i.e. ),;;=.c-;:.3. :*.)r.:..:.1.'s.
- t r
. ~ :. i.. ;..,;ir.%s s
>~J. ::.
(n.
4...*
6.
. ~.
.rA
. <p., t. ;*..v..
u.
a.::
.e* c..... s.... :.
o u...;..*gi o.
, s.1
- y
....t..,f.g;.,w,.~
'.k.A(4,..,=.%.. ~c.s'i.VQ'U.:: ';: YC: : *t.':..,,
In ':
e,...
... ~
s
\\ ?
- 5......; :y.p.,,.
j
?,
..',b,,.:.............. ; _,p:;...,,,
.ni '... s I
'. 'f :g.' T..li", 9.': i'. ; -
.s....
l I
s l
l l
l i
l I
j
- -.m
-._g_,,.
W
')
e Lifting Eridle
/
o s
/
\\
\\
Screen (1/8" holes) f
/
s s.
/
\\
/
g
/
\\
/
\\
/
\\
/
\\*g
/
\\
/
s
/
s
/
% 3-g
/
\\
V e
Copper or Brass I;"
Chamber Ccnstructicn Botto:n l'.aterial and Sanplec
~
j k
els"
- Figure 3 Exposure Chamber
+
.o.
O r
/6 l
gat a
.... jo - g-e l
l I
i i