ML24169A141
| ML24169A141 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | 07109315 |
| Issue date: | 06/27/2024 |
| From: | Bernie White Storage and Transportation Licensing Branch |
| To: | Roman C Division of Fuel Management |
| Shared Package | |
| ML24169A140 | List: |
| References | |
| EPID L-2022-LRM-0064 | |
| Download: ML24169A141 (1) | |
Text
UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20555-0001 MEMORANDUM TO:
Cinthya Román, Deputy Director Division of Fuel Management Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards FROM:
Bernard White, Senior Project Manager Storage and Transportation Licensing Branch Division of Fuel Management Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards
SUBJECT:
SUMMARY
OF FEBRUARY 1, 2024, PRE-APPLICATION MEETING WITH THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY ON PROPOSED REVISION TO CERTIFICATE OF COMPLIANCE NO. 9315
Background
On February 1, 2024, a virtual meeting was held, between the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff to discuss DOEs proposed application for revision to the Certificate of Compliance No. 9315, for the Model No. ES-3100 transportation package. The meeting was noticed on January 23, 2024 (Agencywide Documents Access and Management System Accession No. ML24023A310). The list of meeting attendees, including those participating via telephone, is provided as Enclosure 1. The presentation slides are provided as Enclosure 2.
Discussion The DOEs contractor, Consolidated Nuclear Security, LLC, provided an overview of the changes in each chapter of the safety analysis report, with the biggest changes being the addition of tri-structural isotropic (TRISO) fuel and minor revisions to other contents, increasing the periodic maintenance interval on the O-ring to 2 years, and adding Packcrete as a substitute for the Kaolite, thermal insulating and impact limiting material.
DOE is proposing to add TRISO particles enriched to slightly over 93 weight percent uranium-235 as authorized contents. In its application, the DOE proposes to add a maximum of 2 kilograms of TRISO particles per package. The criticality analysis homogenously mixes the TRISO, 400 grams of polyethylene and water in the containment vessel. In addition, the application evaluates increased transuranic impurities in the high-enriched metal and alloy contents; it also clarified the behavior of nitrate crystals at higher temperatures, and that the bagging may be either polyethylene, nylon, or Teflon.
CONTACT:
Bernard White, NMSS/DFM (301) 415-6577 June 27, 2024 Signed by White, Bernard on 06/27/24
C. Román 2
The applicant evaluated the material properties for Packcrete to show equivalency to Kaolite when evaluating the package for the normal conditions of transport and hypothetical accident conditions tests. DOE stated that Packcrete is still a mixture of Portland cement, but with a different vermiculite specification.
DOE proposed changing the periodic maintenance schedule for the ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) O-rings from 1 to 2 years. DOE proposed changing the periodic maintenance interval for leakage rate testing of the EPDM O-rings from 1 year (the schedule based on American National Standards Institute N14.5-1997, Radioactive MaterialsLeakage Tests on Packages for Shipment) to 2 years and referenced the change in the safety analysis report, which mentioned a corresponding internal study.
DOE evaluated the void volume requirements when the containment vessel contains closed convenience cans with diameters greater than 10.8 centimeters (4.25 inches) to allow sufficient volume for offgassing. DOE stated that it determined the minimum at a void volume for gas expansion and offgassing of material given the temperatures inside the convenience cans during normal conditions of transport and hypothetical accident conditions.
DOE discussed at a very high level some of the other changes that it made in the application, including:
Revised thermal analysis for NCT due to increase in decay heat Revised all stress calculations for various environment conditions stipulated by Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) Section 71.71 Evaluated the International Atomic Energy Agency and the U.S. Department of Transportation pressure and temperature criteria for air transport ensure the package bounds all air criteria Evaluated package for a higher decay heat, including insolation before and after the fire test from hypothetical accident conditions Revised all stress calculations to include environment conditions for hypothetical accident conditions Revised the package leakage rate criteria account for increases in temperature and pressure during both normal conditions of transport and hypothetical accident conditions DOE discussed its revised shielding evaluation for which it utilized the Monte Carlo N-Particle code rather than the MORSE Monte Carlo code. In the revised shielding analysis, DOE utilized a simplified geometry and accounted for Packcrete. In its results DOE said that it compared the Packcrete dose rates with those from the package containing Kaolite, which DOE stated showed minor statistical differences. DOE provided an overview of the new models and showed ample dose rate contours for one content.
DOE also discussed the results of its new criticality analysis for TRISO fuel particles. DOE results are for a single package and an array of packages containing 500 grams polyethylene with maximum water moderation in the containment vessel. For both types of analyses the DOE varied the maximum mass of the uranium carbide particles from 9,000 grams to 1000 grams.
For a single package, all of the keffs for the DOE analyses were below 0.82. Then DOE modeled the maximum mass of uranium carbide requested in the application and varied the amount of water in the containment vessel. All of the keffs for the single package with varying amounts of water were below 0.66.
C. Román 3
For the array analyses, DOEs preliminary analyses show that the maximum keff is below the upper subcritical limit at 2,000 grams of uranium carbide when the mixture of water and uranium carbide is dispersed in the containment vessel.
DOE showed results of parametric studies to determine whether the package is more reactive with the new Packcrete or the original Kaolite for the packages varied contents. DOE provided its initial results for a single package with the maximum amount of water in the insulating material and arrays of packages with minimum water density and no water in the insulating material.
Finally, DOE provided an overview of its changes to the operating procedures in chapter 7 and the acceptance tests and maintenance program in chapter 8. DOE described minor changes to the operating procedures.
Docket No. 71-9315 EPID No. L-2022-LRM-0064
Enclosures:
1.
Meeting Attendees 2.
Slides
C. Román 4
SUBJECT:
SUMMARY
OF FEBRUARY 1, 2024, PRE-APPLICATION MEETING WITH THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY ON PROPOSED REVISION TO CERTIFICATE OF COMPLIANCE NO. 9315 DOCUMENT DATE:
DISTRIBUTION:
NRC Meeting Attendees 71uf9315all@listmgr.nrc.gov ADAMS Accession No.: ML24169A140(pkg); ML24169A141(memo & encl 1);
ML24169A142(encl 2)
OFFICE NMSS/DFM NMSS/DFM NMSS/DFM NMSS/DFM NAME BWhite SFigueroa YDiaz-Sanabria BWhite DATE 6/17/2024 6/17/2024 6/27/2024 6/27/2024 June 27, 2024 MEETING ATTENDEES Meeting
Title:
SUMMARY
OF FEBRUARY 1, 2024, PRE-APPLICATION MEETING WITH THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY ON PROPOSED REVISION TO CERTIFICATE OF COMPLIANCE NO. 9315
Participants:
Department of Energy and the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)
Date:
February 1, 2024 Location:
Teleconference NAME AFFILIATION Bernard White NRC Bharat Patel NRC Andrew Barto NRC Christopher Sydnor NRC Daniel Forsyth NRC James Drabble NRC Jennifer Gutierrez NRC Joseph Borowsky NRC Stan Thomas Consolidated Nuclear Security, LLC (CNS)
Larry Gelder U.S. Department of Energy (CONTR)
Austin McLaurine CNS Caleb Walker CNS David Turner CNS David Wilson Navarro Jerry Byington CNS Kristen Raburn National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) YFO Martin Karr Centrus Energy Monty Goins Navarro Pran Paul CNS Sol Arroyo-Sola NNSA YFO