ML20247K303
| ML20247K303 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Framatome ANP Richland |
| Issue date: | 05/14/1998 |
| From: | Edgar J SIEMENS POWER CORP. (FORMERLY SIEMENS NUCLEAR POWER |
| To: | NRC OFFICE OF INFORMATION RESOURCES MANAGEMENT (IRM) |
| References | |
| JBE:98:050, JBE:98:50, NUDOCS 9805220058 | |
| Download: ML20247K303 (4) | |
Text
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l SIEMENS May 14,1998 JBE:98:050 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Attn: Document Control Desk Washington, DC 20555 Gentlemen :
Subject:
Criticality Safety Information for SPF - Docket 70-1257 Ref.:
Letter, J.B. Edgar to Document Control Desk, " Criticality Safety information for SPF,"
dated February 18,1998 in a conference call on May 4,1998 among Paul Lain and Harry Felsher of M.F. Weber's staff and Jim Edgar, Cal Manning and Rich Kimura of Siomens Power Corporation (SPC), the following requests were made by Mr. Felsher relative to summarizing the information provided in the referenced letter:
- 1. Describe how SPC assures control of U concentration in the SPF process from the feed to the end of the process.
- 2. Describe how SPC assures control of U concentration in the SPF process from the feed to the discharge of the filter press.
- 3. Describe how SPC has assured that acceptable interactions exist between the sumps and process equipment.
- 4. Describe why SPC believes that adding precipitating agents to the filtrate tank is not possible.
- 5. Describe how SPC plans to assure Gd and U concentrations remain acceptable during the lagoon decommissioning process.
SPC's answers are provided below.
9805220058 980514 PDR ADOCK 07001257-C PDR l
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Siernens Power Corporation N
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Nuclear Division 2101 Horn Rapids Road Tel:
(509) 375-8100 Engineering & Manufacturing P.o. Box 130 Fax:
(509) 375-8402 Richland, WA 99352-0130
bS.NRC JBE:98:050 May 14,1998 Page 2 Regumts 1. 2. and 5 are similar and SPC's responses are summarized in the following table. These control points and control types reflect how SPC intends to meet its licensing commitments.
Component Control Point 1 Control Point 2 Control Point 3 Ltgoons (SPF Feed)
Lagoon feed steams are Lagoons are sampled at least Lagoons are sampled at least monitored and kept under quarterly when solids are being quarterly when solids are 1000 ppm by at least processed to verify U being processed to verify Gd two independent means r: concentration and enrichments concentration remains at remain at acceptable levels.
acceptable levels.
(solid phase only)
Control Type: CCU Control Type: CCU Control Type: N AA SPF Feed Tank Lagoon feed streams are Lagoons are sampled at least Lagoons are sampled at least monitored and kept under quarterly when solids are being quarterly when solids are 1000 ppm by at least processed to verify U being processed to verify Gd two independent means concentration and enrichments concentration remains at remain at acceptable levels.
acceptable levels.
(solid phase only)
Control Type: CCU Control Type: CCU Control Type: NAA SPF Filter Press Lagoon feed streams are SPF feed tank is sampled to SPF feed tank is sampled to monitored and kept under verify that centrifuged solids verify acceptable Gd 1000 ppm by at least concentration will remain < 75 concentrations of > 0.2 g two independent means gU/l.
Gd/100gU.
Control Type: CCU Control Type: NAA Control Type: CCU SPF Filtrate Tank Lagoon feed streams are Lagoons are sampled at least SPF feed tank is sampled to monitored and kept under quarterly when solids are being verify acceptable U 1000 ppm by at least processed to verify U enrichment and two independent means concentration and enrichments concentration.
remain at acceptable levels, Control Type: CCU; Control Type: CCU Control Type: CCU; Enrichment Enrichment SPF Sumps All materials processed in Sump are favorable geometry.
The vessels are sufficiently the SPF portion of the isolated to minimize neutron facility are a safe interactions.
concentration.
Control Type: CCU Control Type: GEO Control Type: SPA CCU: Concentration Control of Uranium NAA: Neutron Absorbing Additive GEO: Geornetry SPA: Control of Spacing from Other Fissile Units Reauest 3 is for SPC to describe how it is assured that acceptable interactions exist between the sumps and process equipment, u--____
U.S. NRC JBE:98:050 i.
May 14,1998 Page 3 1
The sumps for the SPF process are all recessed into the concrete floor To give some perspective, the following dimensions are provided:
The filtrate tank is 11'3" in diameter with a 16' tall straight cylindrical section and a bottom that is a 17* slight cone. The SPF spill basin sump is 8" in i
diameter and 23.5" deep. The distance between the top of the sump and the.
l wall of the filtrate tank is approximately seven feet.
The SPF filter press sump is 4" wide and 21" deep. The sump is approximately five feet from the nearest process filter and approximately 10 feet from the filter press.
SPC's license conditions permit equipment and facilities to be considered neutronically isolated if they are separated by :
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a 12" slab of water l
e e.
a 10" slab of concrete
- ten feet of air.
Interaction analysis calculations have shown that a 3x3 array of 8.5" diameter by 30" tall cylinders filled with optimally moderated UO -H O on 21" centers has a 2 2 k,u of about 0.74.
A model to evaluate neutron interactions in a process room contains the following components and spacing:
Two arrays of two 8.5" diameter by 30" tall filters on 21" centers with their bottoms 12 inches above the floor.
An individual 8.5" diameter by 30" tall filter with its bottom 12 inches above the floor.
A 9'6" feet diameter tank containing 450 gU/l precipitate in a 148 liter hemisphere in the bottom of the tank which is at 36 inches above the floor.
The individual filter described above is approximately 4 feet from the right side of the 9'6" diameter tank.
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Each array of filters is approximately 7'6" from the left side of the 9'6" diameter tank.
The k.n for this modelis about 0.71 and is not significantly different from that of the single tank with full water reflection.
l U.S. NRC JBE:98:050 i
May 14,1998.
Page 4 v:
a e.
i Reauest 4 is for SPC to describe why SPC believes that adding precipitating agents to the filtrate tank will not happen during operation.
j The SPF process is designed to dissolve uranium. Studges contain uranium (IV) solids which are dissolved in a feed tank to uranium (VI) which is soluble. The SPF process does not use any precipitating agents. The only feed materials to
- the SPF feed tank are:
' Lagoon slurry SPF sump contents
- Filter aid and water j
- Steam
- Bleach Even though the bleach (12 wt. %) is not a precipitating agent, the volume addition is controlled to less than 1% by volume.
The only additions to the filtrate tank are filtrate from the filter press and process water. SPC maintains a strong configuration management program that assures any plant modifications in process areas are reviewed by criticality safety personnel before they are made.
The feed solution to the SPF process does contain small quantities of phosphates which can form uranyl phosphate under lab test conditions. If small amounts of uranium phosphates do form, they will be limited by the solution equilibrium with uranium. Based on this data, one can conclude that significant precipitation will not occur in the filtrate tank during normal or process upset conditions.
If you have questions or require more information, please contact me at 509-375-8663.
Very truly yours, ames B. Edgar, Staff Engineer Licensing
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