ML20210B824
| ML20210B824 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 03/22/1966 |
| From: | Okrent D Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards |
| To: | Seaborg G US ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION (AEC) |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20210B278 | List: |
| References | |
| FOIA-86-346 ACRS-GENERAL, NUDOCS 8609180176 | |
| Download: ML20210B824 (3) | |
Text
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ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON REACTOR SAFEGUARDS I UNITED STATES ATOMIC ENERGY CCMMISSION WASHINGTON 15. D. C.
l MAR 2 21966 Honorable Glenn T. Seaborg Chairman -
U. S. Atomic Energy Commission
- Washington, D. C. 20545 -
CLASSIFICATION CANCluID e . <
OR CHAN::ED TQ //17C l
Subject:
HANFGtD N-REACTOR BY AUTHORITY OF OADG.p%'
Dear Dr. Saaborg:
'. BY M _____ DATE b d,-I S At its seventy-first meeting, on March 10-12, 1966, the Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards considered the proposal made by the General Electric Company to convert the N-Reactor from plutonitse-only production to tritium co-product production. The Consmittee had the benefit of discussions with representatives of the General Electric Company, members of the Staffs of the AEC Divisions of Reactor Lican-t, sing and of Production, as well as of the document referenced.
General Electric proposes to produce tritium ,in addition to plutonium and electrical power. They propose a new fuel design consisting of an enriched tube-shaped uranium (2.1 percent U-235) driver surrounding a ceramic rod of lithitsa aluminate; each is to be jocketed in Eircaloy-
- 2. They do not propose any change in reactor thermal power from the present 4000 MW 1evel. General Electric has designed its new fuel to j
include use of a swelling-resistant uranium-aluminum-iron alloy which they stated has been thoroughly tested, including operations in the KER loops, at temperature and exposure levels in excess of co-product fuel design values. The major cause for safety concern with the new lithitun-containing element is the possibility of losing the 11thitse by melting or some other means and thus increasing the reactivity sub-stantially. In order to minimize this possibility, the lithium will be in the form of sintered lithitse aluminate slugs which melt at about 29100 F. In order to provide further tests under operating conditions, General Electric stated that it planned to insert 20 columns (only a small fraction of the total loading) of the new fuel into the N-Rasetor 8609180176 860915 .h PDR FOIA \
TAYLCR86-346 PDR 3 12-
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manaralle Glenn T. Seaborg MAR 2 21966 .
This new teeding will during the relooding scheduled for ItMarch 1966.have is contemplated that reached of the total fuel) is scheduled in september.some of the A 20 colu time operations during the fall, but same will be removed and am,-1 before the September leading is initiated. Sama in-core instrumenta-tion will be used for t.he tests, but no fuel elemmat tageratures will be measured.
Even at 4000 Hu(t), the new fuel element will operate with substantially higher maximma heat fluxas thaa the old one, but, due to the amore effee-tiva heat transfer, the maxizman uranium samperature is estiasted by the Gemaral applicant to be the same as for the h eyold element believe that !a- (about 9 expect no increase in the rate ofhfuel failure. proved manuf e Connittee continues to will more than offset the higher beat fluz.
be concerned with the high level of radioactive affluent discharged h e that to the Columbia River from all of the Benford reacters and t General tiectric be careful that these levels are not further taer by the use of the 11thime-containing fuel elements and that louer levels
- (' be achieved if possible. .
1 l
The Cournittac notes that the reactivity shutdown In fact, margin with aoffresh the reacter fuel i
is diminished by the use of the new fuel.
charge, while the control rods are calculated to still be adequate, the reactor alone.
can no longer be shut down with the Ball (3 K) Saf 257. of the fuel at any time will be unieradiated co-peeduct fuel.
Representatives of the General Electric Company st the Zircaloy, and that the present progreo of close surveillance of po-tantial hydriding problems will be continued.
17, 1963, the Com-As indicated in our letters of May 20 and september mittee att11 believes that the potential hasards associated with the Manford reactors (as they are now confined) exceed those of licensed reactors. The Commaittee again points out that radiological eensequences in the unlikely event of a severe reactor accident at the N-Emactor during 4000 HR(t) operation would exceed the dose guidelinea now used for lia=
power reactors.
t
( Manorable Glenn T. Seaborg MAR 2 21966 The Comuntttee believes that thg operation of the FRaactor with the I new dual purpose fuel will not increase the esisting hasard to the health and safety of the public. The Commaittee coat.imusa to believe . ,
that continued operation of the N-Raactor without further safeguards can only be justified by production requirements. ,
Dr. S. R. Bush did not participate in this review.
Sincerely yours, David Okrant Chairman Referencer RL-NRD-632, "N-Reactor Co-product Operation, Essards Summary Report",
dated November 29, 1965 (S/RD).
(
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