ML20212H958

Requests Assessment of Controls Which Prevent or Detect Introduction of Hydrocarbons Into Cylinders & UF6 Sys During Processing & Transporting.If Controls Not at Facility, Assessment Should Be License Amend.Doe Safety Alert Encl

ML20212H958
Person / Time
Site:	07001113
Issue date:	03/02/1987
From:	Crow W NRC OFFICE OF NUCLEAR MATERIAL SAFETY & SAFEGUARDS (NMSS)
To:	Winslow T GENERAL ELECTRIC CO.
References
NUDOCS 8703060269
Download: ML20212H958 (4)

Text

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MAR 0 21987 s

FCUP:GHB 70-1113 General Electric Company ATTN: Mr. T. Preston ' Winslow, Manager Licensing and Nuclear Materials Management {

P. O. Box 780 cWilmington, North Carolina 28402 Gentlemen:

The presence of hydrocarbons in UF, cylinders and UF, process systems is of serious concern to the U.S. NucleaF Regulatory Comission (NRC) since the

< reaction of UF with hydrocarbons, even in small quantities, may be cuite {

"vigorousandc$nresultinseriousexplosions. The Department of Energy (DOE) f is also concerned about the presence of hydrocarbons in licensee's cylinders because the cylinders may be emptied or filled at the DOE enrichment plants.

Because of these concerns, you are ' requested to provide an assessment of your -

controls which prevent or detect the introduction of hydrocarbons in;to the cylinders and the UFg systems during processing and transport. The assessment should cover procurement, recertification, and maintenance of cylinders; the

, IWs process systems, including cold traps if used, for filling or emptying cyTinders; and seals on either full or " empty" cylinders during transport and storage.

Unless the above identified controls exist in your license, the assessment should be presented in the form of a license amendment application. The

-application should be in two parts - proposed controls as license conditions, and a safety demonstration showing the adequacy of the controls. The proposed conditions should be formatted as revised pages for insertion into the referenced section of license conditions in your ct:rrent license. Your response is requested within 45 days from the date of this letter.

Enclosed is a 1983 DOE Safety Alert which provides some information and guidance on isolating hydrocarbons and UFg process systems. OR0-651, Revision 4 " Uranium Hexafluoride: Hand 1Tng Procedures and Container Criteria," U.S. ERDA, April 1977, is currently under revision by D0E.

Revision 5 should be available soon.

0703060269 870302 3 f2DR ADOCK 0700 .

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EGeneral Electric Company 2 If you have questions, I can be contacted at (301) 427-4510. ,

Sincerely,.

originE Signed BY.I W. T. Crow, Acting Chief

. Uranium Fuel Licensing Branch Division of. Fuel Cycle and Material Safety, NMSS

Enclosure:

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OFFICIAL RECORD COPY

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A A Assistant Secretary. Environmental Protection, Safety & Ernergency Preparedness Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Environment, Safety & Health I

DOE /EP.00$0/3 ,

Issue No. 3 February 1983 LIQUID UF6EXPLODES WHEN IT CONTACTS HYDROCARBON OIL PROBLEM: Iiquid UF6 can explode if it comes in r - ..--- .:- ..m. m .ary ,

contact with hydrocarbon oil, even when the quantity of g(j[ eme:- :e - .- .--

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..p t oil is quite small (i.e., a few hundred cc's). If a 0 ~

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.A contamiuted standsed UF6 cy'inder rated at 100-150 psi l  : M.050 Ei did explode, the force probably wou!d not be contained. ]j-j D

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... y A 30A cytmdcr, having jut Ima S5ed with 4887 lbs. of liquid UF6 -

was transported to a concrae storsee ped. After the cylindct was j

- . . . ..:. - lowered to the pad, an apt-g oceand within the cylinder as v**

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eM bw s loud report and the omverd belging of both concave

+ J'- ends ar rt. cyhnocr. In this instance, the explosion was contamed but

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5 smoke begna to emerge from a crack in the valw and a crack appeared

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The presence of smal1 quantities of oilinside a cylinder is

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• The tare weight of the cyhnder is essentially 3~~ -

unchanged

[- e The vapor psecours of the oilis ==f&damelylow that to the cylladeris insuf5cient to hold the displaced oil, the oil wlR act intesfers with liquid UF6Giling the the oil wiR be fossed into the cylinder.

cylinder.

RECOhDENDA110NS:

e Analysis of liquid UF6 semples frees the cylinder cannot reliably detect smau q==*iti= of oil I. The inside of new UF6 cylladers should be e

thoroughly cleaned if the presence ofa jn Primarily, the entry of oil into UF 6occurs as follows: hydrocarboa oil is suspected. EKective procedures for cinnains new cyunders and the d -ae =i-a- ,

Oil used during fabrication may remais on theisside of large cyheders are included la the appendices of surface of the cylinder if it is inadequessly cleased. ANSI N Id.1 - 1982, "Packagias of Uranium .

This can be *Ii=iamead if the fabricator applies Hexafluoride for TransW appropriate quality assuranos procedures and the

buyer thoroughly inspects a =*=d=*i,.ny signi6 cant 2. Only oil-free air should be used to pressurire i number of cylinders. cylinders. Consider air operated ejectors for f, evacuation. They provide the most positive 1 Oil may be forced into the cyhnder during and aAer assurance that oil will not enter the cyhnder during l evacuation through ' rsmS'= r of an oil - the evacuation operation.

f filled vacuum pump. Should the pump stop for any reason (i.e., power interruption, motor burn up, belt 3. An oil trap should be installed between an oil-filled breaking, operator error, or =aah==ie=1 failure), the vacuum pump and any UF6 cylindir being atmospheric pressure on the pump discharge can evacuated. The oil trap (shown below) should have a force the oil back through the pump to the suction volume greater than the oil capacity of the vacuum side. If the volume of the pipe connecting the pump pump.

To Atmosphere Oil Free

f. 30" 30 psig '

Velve 1 Q p Cylinder 4-3 y Valve W

pj L y;;g -

Nh . $$l 'iig:: # i$55H!N. Ili$5:

Q Motor Veouarn Trop Sight

, Drain .

UF6CyHnder

. Pump yg Glass lastaB as oil trap hetseen se saidued seemum pump and any UF6cyhader belnseveemated. Operaties , . -- :1)trapvolume must be steeeer than eit vetuses of pumps 2) trap emnet be empty of oil as shown by siehe Wees hetere unies systems to evemenes UF6 syllader; and

3) vehe I and cyboder vehe meet he stesed hefere shuning et pump.

For enere infonmanee. eestest Winient A. Pryer. Safety and Eewhosenestal Centret Divlelee. Oak Itides Operonians OGias, F13: 6Mes53. oommacist (615) 376 es53.

Svery diere le published for DOS preeresa managere and esserectore to share infonmaties about pesamtial - . * ' . safetyproblems reasvest to doe aperousea. Per addsmenal espies. eestest Neon '

Oihert. Editor. EP.3e.l. Presrem Centrol Staff. Assimaat Secretary.

Eavveemental Procession. Safety and Essergency L,_ . U.S. Departamat of Emersy. W- " r , D.C. 20545, te a .ph ,

FT3 233-295s; commeraal (3o1) 353 295s.

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