ML20202C183
| ML20202C183 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 03/09/1954 |
| From: | Mccullough C Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards |
| To: | Nichols K US ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION (AEC) |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20202C166 | List: |
| References | |
| FOIA-85-646 ACRS-GENERAL, NUDOCS 8607110136 | |
| Download: ML20202C183 (13) | |
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.g-March 9, 1954 4
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Mr. K. D. !:ichels General Panager U. S. Atomic Energy Commission
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Uashington 25, D. C.
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Dear Mr. Nichols:
- l Mr. A. Tammaro, as Chairr.an of the Board of Evaluation of FWR Participat. inn, has asked for a preliminary opinion on the suit-ability of the site proposed by Duquesne Power and Light Ccmpany at Shippingport, Pennsylvania, from the point of view of hazards.
It is my opinion in consultation wAth two members of the Advisory Committee nn Reactor Safeguards that this site is suitable provided l
that the reactor system is so designed that contain'aent cf radio-I active material can be guaranteed beycnd reasonable doubt. It is
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a general view, based on preliminary information, that this is a t
reasonable requirement and one that can be attained. This rigid requirement rests upon the fact the 0:-io River, below the site in question, is one of the most heavily used scurces of domestic and industrial water in the United States.
l It is r;y understanding the PNR will be a reactor instauation enly and no chemical separation will take place at this site.
These conclusions are consistent with the preliminary informatinn
- given a Subgrcup of the Advisory Comraittee on Heactor Safeguards on January 22, 1954. A copy of the minutes of this meeting is attached.
It is ray further understanding that, as the project progresses, further information will be available for Committee study.
This conclusion on the ShippinEp:,rt site was concurred in by Colnnel Reuel C. Stratton and Er. Abol Wolman of the Advisory Com-mittee on Reactor Safeguards.
Sincerely yours,
/s/ C. Rogers l'cCullough C. Rogers McCullough Chairman Advisory Cemrtittee on Reactor Safeguards When separated from enclosures, handle 4
this document as UfCLASSIFIED '
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Infomation en P4R Sito _Sylsetion ENCLOSURE 3 i
The basis for the site criteria for the Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) wa reviewed by J. H. Barker, Jr.
This problem was previously considered by a subgroup of the ACRS at a moeting
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I in New York on January 22, 1954. It was noted that the power level of the PWR y
is to be 264 megawatts. For a reactor operating at this power, where the release
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of fission products into the atmosphora must be considered, an exclusion distance of some 5 miles would be required for reasonable safety. Such an exclusion area would be prohibitively expensivo for the purpose for which the PWR is in-tended.
It is, thorofore, essential to the success of this program that the re-actor system, including means for containing radioactive raaterial released by any equipment malfunction, be developed so that off-site hazards will not re-quire a large exclusion area.
Pmvided such containment can be guaranteed be-j yond reasonable doubt, an exclusion distance of some 1/2 mile was recommended as being reasonable, to provido for future expansion and to prevent the encroach-ment of undesirably close settlements.
However, it would not be desirable to locate the reactor iradiately adjacent to a heavily por>ulated area.
Following a study of soveral Government sites t.nd review of proposals from industrial organizations, the Duquesne Light cnd Power Coepany was selected for
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the operation of this facility.
the Shippingport site was selected as the rc.ost euitable.Of the three sit as suggest This site is on the south bank of the Ohio river some 25 miles downstream from Pittsburgh.
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- ficient land will be owned so as to provido en equivalent exclusion distance of 1/2 mile.
Included within tha 1/2 nila will bu ptrt of the Ohio River, in-cluding an uninhabited island.
It was noted that a railroad line mns through the sito; howsvar, this line is used only infraquently and then only for froight servico.
The structure being considered for providing edequato containment consists of three steel pressure vossels in which will be located the primary reactor com-ponents.
These pressuro vessels would be at least partially buried in the ground and covered with dirt.
The non-radioactive steam from this system would pass to a generating plant located a short distcnce away abovo ground.
The Conraittee concurred with the actior.s taken by the Chcirman in transmit-ting tho attached lettor to the General Manager on tha proposed Shippingport j~
site.
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l SUB00hMITTEFS TiEPORTS (Person's nono uddorsoored indicates person taaking rop rt to Comittoo).
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Detroit Edison Ronctor Ilorvey Brooks, Choircan, r nd D A Ungara A Subcomittoo nocting una hold in Docton with nenbcre of the Dotroit Edison i
Although a considernble onount of theorctical colouletions and study group.
has boon given to the nuclecr propertion of this reactor, there rannin a number of unebrtain factore.
It oppours that oven though this le o feat rocotor it aoy be ponniblo to des 1 n it so thct it hos a dcrinito ntgotivo tempcrature C
coefficient.
Work on a scale snoller thcn the full elzo recctor should probably inkon et somo rtmote locction, such na NTiTS.
r-mitteo with the Dctroit Edison group cro planned.Further neatinga of the Subcon-3 Scfoty Control of tho Shut-down Roda for NEX:
Johns, and R. C. Str atton D. A. nogers, Chcirman, I. B.
It vos reported thct at tho request of tho /J:C this Subcomittoo uns oppointed to review tho design of the now acrcty rods for the NRX.
ik This 7ontrol rod es designed by the lancrican Machino and Foundry Company.
w The Subcomittoo had the cdvico of consultenta and togother they rev1wed this design and ccicluded it was entirely actiefcotory.
ag A Subcomnittee report hca boon issuod.
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m-PEESSUh1MD WTER *nEi.CTOR It wts explained that there ucs a pioon of Innd owned by the Nctional Trcusit Company which intruded into tho 25008 radius around the PMI site. This land is used for stofego of fuel at the present time. The Duquesne Light Cocpeny has een uncblo to acquire this lend and hcd arrangcd for an agroenent rostrictinE ho uso of this icnd to industrin1 purposes. This agreement via read and the ornittoo opprovcd the land owned by the National Transit Company being within ho 25008 redius if this agreencnt could be consucmated.
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fCONSOLIDATEDISONECTOR l
he Cc.aittee ws informed thct Consolidated Edison Compcqy of Ncv York, Inc.,
l had applied for a licenso to build end oporato a nuclear power plant. The Com-nittee had been furnishod with copies of their applicction for licenses. Be-cause the Cossolidated Edison Company was the first applicent for a large scale nucletr powcr plant license and in addition plonned to do this vithout financial j
c.ssistence fron the AEC this ves an unique ecso.
It vos explained that Messrs.
Mcryin Fox and J. T. Weills hcd bcon obtained es. consultants and they together with Wensel and McCullough had revioved the inforcm. tion presented on this pro-l posed reactor end had devcloped a series of questions requiring additional infor-1 notion. Voills reported on a more cercrul review of the renetor information presented. The whole problen ucs discussed in sono detail and it vos the general opinion of the Cormittee thct c great doel of Edditional information would have to bo obtained bt. fore the Cornittee could make any detcrninntion as to the hazards l
rciated to this reactor. A further Subconnittoo cetion is picnned at a dato tc bc sot by the Consolidcted Edison Company.
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he, actor Hazards Evaluation Staffs McCullough r@orted thet the Atemio Energy Coomission had approved setting up a Reactor Hazarda Evoluction Staff reporting to A. Tnmno, Ascistant General
. Manager for Rosearch cnd Industrial Development. This steff ia to consist of rbout fivo peoplo end Dr. H. T. Wcnsel is tho first menbor. There was considcr-cble discussion about the philosophy cnd functions of this staff and its rela-l tion to the ACRS.
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The Cetnittee ottonded the third P~wR g.g loving this noeting S. Krcsik discussed in furthTechnical Forum on M the recctor safety problens associated yith thi er detcil with the Commi s reactor.
The lorig tern chengos in reactivity end tenporet concern with this type of r ecctcr boccupo cf the uro coeffic'ient are a pricary At present nany of those chan6cs end thrir effectn planned long exposure of the or for plutoniun fornr. tion.
not be predicted.
followed during operction cnd there is consider blIt is plcnno shifting of blanket fuel clenont to cenpensato for le flexibility possib e carefully r
The plcnned ccroful attentien to these prcblon
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initial blanket locding is of inportcnco tc th s thrcughout the lifetino of the i
e anfety cf this reactor.
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Issued: Hay 18, 1955 1
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!!Nf:lM! FED PW SITE In tha criginal soloction of the Shippingport sito for the PMi, it was planned to have a cne-half nilo exclusien area in all directions.
nocessary real estato, difficulties have been encounterod, In acquiring the f
At its 31gventh llaating the ACRS recornanded that if ths Duquesne Light C could not' acquire by purchase a tract of land owned by the National Transit Ccapany which is within 2500 foot of the Pim location, an agroenent with tho transit conpany to rostrict tha uso of the land would be an acceptablo substituto Subsequently it has provod impossible to soeura tho specified agroonent ditional parcels on the frings of tha sito.rossonabla torns to acquiro
, or on The Connittco thereforo was asked to approvo the sito without securing any control over the thrao parcols cf land which would havo to bo centrollod to satisfy the ono-half axelusion aroa orig i
V planned.
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CC0liCl!Di& ION:
1 Tha Cocnittoo racondands that the Shippingport sito fer the PE be ap-proved rataining the 1/2 uilo radius with tha exceptions of the thrao parcals of land enuneratod, I
tivo rNet ECAEEfPTCALTioN e.
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Consolidnted Edison Mr. Osbern nade an infornal raport giving the essentials of the results of the l:
Subcorr.ittao ucating held on.iugust 29th with the Consolidated Edison Coupany.
The details of this vill ba found in the ninutos of that subcoru.11ttoo neating.
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EXECUTIVE EESSION Government Chairmanship Dr. NoCuhough stated that the Connittee was operating under a temporary exemption from the Attorney General's ruling requiring that all Govern-ment advisory boards be chaired try full-time government employees. He had been infomed that his tem as Chairman 'had been terminated Doomber 31, 1955, and later extended to February 1,1956, to enable the General I
Manager to appoint a govertanent employee as Chairman. The Committee members agreed to send a letter to the General Manager expressing their unanimous feeling that the Chairman of the ACRS should be independent of 1
direct AEC pmgram and job security pressures. Several drafts of such a letter were prepared and the Secretary was asked to combine them into one letter for signature by all the members.
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i Pressurised Wter Reactor (No report available at time of meeting)
I This session was opened with introductory remarks by Admiral H. G. Rickover.
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Drs. S. Krasik, W. R. Ellis and B. Lustaan presented a review of the cur-y rent status of the PWR hasards studies. No recommendations were p ssented by Westinghouse or asked of the Committee. Dr. Krasik made the following U
general statsoents. It was stated that the PWR is a stable reactor with a strong negative temperature coefficient and good coupling between fuel element and coolant temperatures. Rates of reactivity addition are very l
limited. Any excursion which can occur is stopped by boiling of the water. It was stated that no excursion can occur which would result in fuel vaporisation and that there is no chance of a chemical reaction which would result in rupture of the primary loop. The system is safe against i
loss of electrical power both from the standpoint of hasards and equip-g*
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l ment damage. The high pressure system is enclosed in a container which will take the peak pressure resulting from rupture of the primary loop i
and one bbiler. The only means by which radioactivity can be released to the mntainer is by a primary loop break. Primary coolant, activity
, itself would not present a serious hazard even if released to the atmo-
' sphere. Release of fission products to the ountainer would result in dosages of the order of a few r at a few hundred meters distance. Fail-ure to contain fission products could result in very large dosages.
Dr. Ellis reviewed the site and design. It was stated that the piping would be stainless steel, fabricated under strict contal and with ultra-sonic testing to insure absence of defects. Every component which falls under the AS4E Code vill be designed to it, with two exceptions: 1) No i relief iralves, and 2) They will not completely anneal all vessels.
' These exceptions have been appmved by the State of Pennsylvania.
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The inner stop valves of the primary loop are hydraulically operated.
Since pressure detemination is made outside this portion of the loop
' no infomation on pressure in the reactor vessel would be available if both stop valves in each of the four loops were closed. The reactor
} vessel is lined with 1/4" 304 stainless steel ar3 all cladding and i
' structural elements in the core are zirconium. Differential expansion of the fuel-bearing and supporting plates of the sub-assemblies is con-
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' sidered unimportant. Decay heat can be dissipated by natural convec-tion with one loop in operation. A Stone and Webster survey of piping failures covering hundreds of installations has revealed no h1-g l
-ils w is this typ M piping. The foundation has therefore not been designed to take a sudden shear of the pipe.
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power / flow ratio, loss of flow or loss of powerScram mperature excursions shell vill be tested at 70 pai The steel container,
t and vill then be lined with 6 to 12" of-gunnite which would not be pene,trated by a 75 p second.
e at 5008 per vond 10 psi--without cracking the gunnite.
ested be-box in which it is enclosed also 11 estimated at 1 e n orced conerate total project oost of thirty seven m/2 million dollars, as compared with a since the specifications were set up for the contai illion dollars.
ant activity requirement to contain the pressure resulting from a prim ow eliminate the ary loop rupture.
Tests show no intergranular corrosion of zirconiumD
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v or of the materials.
of 25 to 100 ppm flouride ions.
l ject to hydrogen embrittlement or radiation indary i
The pria-which is not sub-be subject to slight abrittlement as a result of iritic ste ructed, might pile data indicate that it would takg 10 yegs to groduc rradiation, but in-
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able embrittlement at the flux of 107 e any detect-sel vill be exposed.
While the ' occurrence of small cracks a possibiility, brittle failures leading to shearing o expected.
r missiles are not Formation of an oxidized surface layer in the zirooni greatly the chance of molten zirconium entering th um, which molta at I
o decrease a reaction of molten ziroonium dispersed in water w Reaction t.
n cate that after only a few per cent of the zirconium has reacted quenched from 100 to 10% of normalDr. Erasik reviewed analogue computer res ua pressure rise of 500 pai (power which show a temperature rise of 60ng a load change cf:
pressure 2500 psi).
operating pressure 2000 psi and designand Steady rod withdrawal at the mahm rate (5 x 10-4 4k/sec) from startup would result in eventu
~ the pover leveling off at 200% normal.
iling of the water with reaction was not violent,at 200% design power in the STR and while^s A
n occurred the Rates of water loss due to breaks of various sizes i given.
the faulty loop before the water level falls to thUp to 3" diam n the piping were A proposed flooding systs would keep the core cov e
o isolate e top of the core.
is a 4 to 5" break.
vould suffice to remove the after heat.If the core were only half oovered, s ered even if there i
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With a major brcak in th2 primary loo Assuming a considerable fraction of thtainment ve 5
j-e tiroonium reacts.vith water,en the pressure would still fall after th the hydrogen burns, the pressure wuld e 52.8 psi peak.
suffices to prevent this additional riserise to 80 pai, but a It in addition.
Melting af the seed elements gives so that forsation of a secondary criticaland a furth o separation from the blanket frequent unfavorable conditionsThe meteorological data c mass appears to be impossible.
3 including inversionar at the Shippingport site show winds crossing the river, s and local drainage Dr. Erasik stated that because of th the reactor no radioactivity muld r
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each the control room in th of a minor accident.
He further stated that the plant could
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operate It is expected that a report containin sented vill be distributed to the Committg much of the information pr cident studies are continuing and it was e ti s
ee in the near future.
tection system would be worked out withi I
s Ac-n the next six months to amated that th year.
attached as Appendix "A",The Committee's letter to the General M i
anager on this item is t
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