ML12159A192
| ML12159A192 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 06/07/2012 |
| From: | Office of the Chief Human Capital Officer |
| To: | |
| References | |
| Download: ML12159A192 (89) | |
Text
April, 2011
- slide 1 of 88 Seminar for ASLBP (G-114) Fuel Cycle Processes H R T D Human Resources Training & Development
April, 2011
- slide 2 of 88 Seminar for ASLBP (G-114) Objectives Briefly discuss properties of natural uranium Discuss the facilities and processes involved in the uranium and mixed oxide fuel cycle Discuss the uranium recovery process and identify its associated hazards Discuss the uranium conversion process and identify its associated hazards
April, 2011
- slide 3 of 88 Seminar for ASLBP (G-114) Objectives Discuss the uranium enrichment processes and their associated hazards Discuss the uranium fuel fabrication process and its associated hazards Briefly discuss the mixed oxide (MOX) fuel fabrication program Briefly discuss the Blended Low
-Enriched Uranium (BLEU) project
April, 2011
- slide 4 of 88 Seminar for ASLBP (G-114) Natural uranium consists of three isotopes:
Isotope % Abundance Half Life (years) 238 U 99.284 4.5 billion 235 U* 0.711 704 million 234 U 0.005 245 thousand Properties of Natural Uranium
- Must be enriched up to about 3
-5% for commercial fuel
April, 2011
- slide 5 of 88 Seminar for ASLBP (G-114) Fuel Cycle Flow Diagram (old)
Weapons use > 20% enriched U
April, 2011
- slide 6 of 88 Seminar for ASLBP (G-114) Fuel Cycle Flow Diagram (newer)
Almost half of LEU provided by downblended HEU April, 2011
- slide 7 of 88 Seminar for ASLBP (G-114) Fuel Cycle Flow Diagram (newest)
April, 2011
- slide 8 of 88 Seminar for ASLBP (G-114) Process Terminology Uranium recovery to extract (or mine) uranium ore, and concentrate (or mill) the ore to produce "yellowcake" Conversion of yellowcake into uranium hexafluoride (UF
- 6) Enrichment to increase the concentration of uranium
-235 (U235) in UF 6 Deconversion to reduce the hazards associated with the depleted uranium hexafluoride (DUF 6), or "tailings," produced in earlier stages of the fuel cycle Fuel fabrication to convert enriched UF 6 into fuel for nuclear reactors Interim storage of spent nuclear fuel (ISFSI and spend fuel pools)
Recycling (or reprocessing) of high-level waste (currently not done in the U.S.) Final disposition (disposal) of high-level waste
Locations of Major US Fuel Cycle Facilities http://www.nrc.gov/info
-finder/materials/fuel
-cycle/
April, 2011
- slide 10 of 88 Seminar for ASLBP (G-114) Uranium Recovery Operations
April, 2011
- slide 11 of 88 Seminar for ASLBP (G-114) Regulation of Uranium Recovery 10 CFR 40
- Domestic Licensing of Source Material Note: Although the title includes only Source Material, Part 40 also regulates Byproduct Material as it relates to the uranium recovery process, i.e., primarily mill tailings Source Material: (1) Uranium or thorium, or any combination thereof, in any physical or chemical form or (2) ores which contain by weight one
-twentieth of one percent (0.05%) or more of: (i) Uranium, (ii) thorium or (iii) any combination thereof. Source material does not include special nuclear material.
Depleted uranium (left over from uranium enrichment) is considered source material.
Byproduct material: Tailings or wastes produced by the extraction or concentration of uranium or thorium from any ore processed primarily for its source material content.
April, 2011
- slide 12 of 88 Seminar for ASLBP (G-114) Regulation of Uranium Recovery NRC does not regulate conventional mining (regulated by Office of Surface Mining, Dept of the Interior, and the Agreement States), but does regulate all milling activities (conventional or ISL)
Uranium Milling - means any activity that results in the production of byproduct material as defined in this part
In-Situ Leaching (ISL) - a.k.a. In-Situ Recovery (ISR)
Most uranium is imported (>80% of 32,000 tons of U 3 O 8 used per year)
April, 2011
- slide 14 of 88 Seminar for ASLBP (G-114) Steps in Uranium Recovery (conventional mining and milling)
April, 2011
- slide 15 of 88 Seminar for ASLBP (G-114) Typical U Open Pit Mine and Mill Facility
April, 2011
- slide 16 of 88 Seminar for ASLBP (G-114) Ore Crushed in Rolling Mills
April, 2011
- slide 17 of 88 Seminar for ASLBP (G-114) U Solvent Extraction Tanks at a Typical U Mill
April, 2011
- slide 18 of 88 Seminar for ASLBP (G-114) In Situ Recovery Milling In the in situ leaching (ISL) process, injection wells (1) pump a chemical solution
- typically sodium bicarbonate and oxygen
- into the layer of earth containing uranium ore. The solution dissolves the uranium from the deposit in the ground, and is then pumped back to the surface through recovery wells (2) and sent to the processing plant to be converted into uranium yellowcake. Monitoring wells (3) are checked regularly to ensure that uranium and chemicals are not escaping from the drilling area.
April, 2011
- slide 19 of 88 Seminar for ASLBP (G-114) ISL Well Field
April, 2011
- slide 20 of 88 Seminar for ASLBP (G-114) Header House
April, 2011
- slide 21 of 88 Seminar for ASLBP (G-114) ISL Production Facility
April, 2011
- slide 22 of 88 Seminar for ASLBP (G-114) Resin Tanks U-bearing solution from injection wells is processed through a series of resin tanks in the Central Processing Plant or Satellite Plant to recover the uranium
April, 2011
- slide 23 of 88 Seminar for ASLBP (G-114) Shielded Resin Tanks
April, 2011
- slide 24 of 88 Seminar for ASLBP (G-114) ISL Stages of Production (See Handout on Uranium Recovery process)
April, 2011
- slide 25 of 88 Seminar for ASLBP (G-114) Yellowcake packaged in 55
-gallon Drums and prepared for shipment
April, 2011
- slide 26 of 88 Seminar for ASLBP (G-114) Ore dust and radon emissions from ore crushing, sorting, and storage Radiation Areas created from buildup of radium Radon gas and particulate daughters Yellowcake dust from drying and packaging area Windblown particulates and radon emission from the U mill tailings disposal area Soluble uranium compounds attack the kidneys (10 CFR 20.1201 (e)
- 10 mg/week max intake)
Radiological Hazards of U Recovery
April, 2011
- slide 27 of 88 Seminar for ASLBP (G-114) Hazards of Tailings
April, 2011
- slide 28 of 88 Seminar for ASLBP (G-114) Tailings Disposal from Conventional Mill
April, 2011
- slide 29 of 88 Seminar for ASLBP (G-114) ISL Waste Water Disposal
Uranium Recovery Facilities http://www.nrc.gov/info
-finder/materials/uranium/index.html#licensed
-facilitieshttp://www.nrc.gov/info
-finder/materials/uranium/index.html#licensed
-facilities
Uranium Recovery Sites Undergoing Decommissioning Pathfinder Lucky Mc ANC Gas Hills Umetco Gas Hills Sweetwater (conventional mill standby)
Rio Algom (possible ISL restart)
Homestake Western Nuclear Split Rock Exxon Highland Union Pacific Bear Creek PRI SR-HUP (active ISL)
Cogema (possible ISL restart)
Pathfinder Shirley Basin Crow Butte (active ISL)
UNC Church Rock http://www.nrc.gov/info
-finder/decommissioning/uranium/index.html Sequoyah Fuels
Uranium mill closing may be temporary By Bruce Finley The Denver Post Posted: 08/19/2010 Cotter Corp. will dismantle its toxic waste ponds and buildings at a uranium mill south of Canon City, but it intends to keep its license from state regulators to operate at the site and may re
-open, the vice president for operations said Thursday.
Accelerated efforts to close down contaminated facilities at the Superfund cleanup site are aimed at clearing a path for possible uranium processing in the future and do not indicate Cotter plans to leave the 2,600
-acre site, vice president John Hamrick said.
"We can decommission parts of the facility without moving towards license termination,"
Hamrick said. "Our intention is ... to clear the path for new construction in the future." No date has been set or plans submitted for that construction.
A new state law requires uranium mill operators to clean up existing messes before launching new projects. Cotter opposed that law and, before it was passed, warned that it could kill a proposed project to haul uranium from a mine in New Mexico by train and process it at the mill
.
Recent Cotter letters to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment regulators indicated that Cotter was moving to close down facilities and no longer would test air for emissions of cancer
-causing radon.
April, 2011
- slide 33 of 88 Seminar for ASLBP (G-114) Uranium Conversion
April, 2011
- slide 34 of 88 Seminar for ASLBP (G-114) 10 CFR Part 40
- Domestic Licensing of Source Material Honeywell (old Allied
-Signal) at Metropolis IL
- only operating US plant Sequoyah Fuels at Gore OK
- decommissioned Regulation of U Conversion
April, 2011
- slide 35 of 88 Seminar for ASLBP (G-114) Honeywell U Conversion Plant Converts feed material from around the globe, and also generates commercial fluorine gas.
April, 2011
- slide 36 of 88 Seminar for ASLBP (G-114) Conversion Input is yellowcake and fluorine Conversion Output is UF 6 Fluorine is used for two reasons:
Only one isotope of fluorine Physical properties are commercially viable UF 6 is the only uranium compound that exists as a gas at a suitable temperature U Conversion
April, 2011
- slide 37 of 88 Seminar for ASLBP (G-114) Packaged in 10- and 14-ton cylinders Allowed to cool for 5 days to solidify Overfill is the highest safety concern Product (source material) is shipped to the Gaseous Diffusion Plants for enrichment (special nuclear material) U Conversion
April, 2011
- slide 38 of 88 Seminar for ASLBP (G-114) UF 6 Properties
April, 2011
- slide 39 of 88 Seminar for ASLBP (G-114) UF 6 + 2H 2O > UO 2 F 2 + 4HF UF 6 Properties Reacts with moisture (e.g., in air) and creates deadly hydrogen fluoride (HF)
Uranyl Fluoride Chemical Hazard Thousands of "smoke detectors" utilized throughout the conversion and enrichment plants to warn operators of
UF 6 release April, 2011
- slide 40 of 88 Seminar for ASLBP (G-114) HF Severely Damages Skin
April, 2011
- slide 41 of 88 Seminar for ASLBP (G-114) HF Skin Damage Example
April, 2011
- slide 42 of 88 Seminar for ASLBP (G-114) Damage Largely Healed
April, 2011
- slide 43 of 88 Seminar for ASLBP (G-114) In January 1986, a 14-ton cylinder was overfilled with liquid UF 6 The operators did not know by how much the weight limits were exceeded Product draw
-off stopped due to solidification of the UF 6 as it cooled A supervisor ordered the operator to place the cylinder in a steam chest for 6 hours6.944444e-5 days <br />0.00167 hours <br />9.920635e-6 weeks <br />2.283e-6 months <br /> About 2 hours2.314815e-5 days <br />5.555556e-4 hours <br />3.306878e-6 weeks <br />7.61e-7 months <br /> into the heat
-up, the cylinder failed catastrophically. One operator died Sequoyah Fuels Accident
April, 2011
- slide 44 of 88 Seminar for ASLBP (G-114) Sequoyah Fuels in 1986 Site of the accident April, 2011
- slide 45 of 88 Seminar for ASLBP (G-114) UF 6 Cylinder at Sequoyah Fuels
April, 2011
- slide 46 of 88 Seminar for ASLBP (G-114) Damaged Cylinder and Steam Chest
April, 2011
- slide 47 of 88 Seminar for ASLBP (G-114) Rags Stuffed in the Breach in the Cylinder
April, 2011
- slide 48 of 88 Seminar for ASLBP (G-114) Washing Out the Residual UF 6
April, 2011
- slide 49 of 88 Seminar for ASLBP (G-114) Close-up View of the Breach in the Cylinder
April, 2011
- slide 50 of 88 Seminar for ASLBP (G-114) Accidental UF 6 Release from Honeywell Occurred on December 22, 2003 Release of UF 6 to offsite environment No injuries to workers Four members of public reported to the local hospital. One of these exhibited skin reddening and symptoms of low level exposure to HF
April, 2011
- slide 51 of 88 Seminar for ASLBP (G-114) Uranium Enrichment
April, 2011
- slide 52 of 88 Seminar for ASLBP (G-114) Former K-25 Site - in decommissioning since late '80's. Oak Ridge Reservation is listed by the EPA as a Superfund Site. Most of these buildings have been removed.
Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant
April, 2011
- slide 53 of 88 Seminar for ASLBP (G-114) Max enrichment of 5.5% since 2002 Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant
April, 2011
- slide 54 of 88 Seminar for ASLBP (G-114) Cold Standby since 2001 Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant On July 29, the NRC accepted an application from the United States Enrichment Corporation (USEC) dated June 28 to terminate operations under the Certificate of Compliance (GDP
-2) at the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant (70
-7002) in Piketon, Ohio. The NRC interoffice staff from NMSS, NSIR, FSME, R
-II and OGC determined that the submittal contained adequate information to begin a detail technical review. The staff is targeting the completion of its review by the end of September 2011.
April, 2011
- slide 55 of 88 Seminar for ASLBP (G-114) Regulations The GDPs are regulated under 10 CFR 76 Only "Certified" licensee. Recertifications are required under the Atomic Energy Act, as amended, and the Energy Policy Act of 1992 Certification allowed the NRC to take into account the baseline safety established by the plants during their extended operating history, rather than providing an initial justification for operation NRC certified the two GDPs; recertification is valid until December 31, 2013
April, 2011
- slide 56 of 88 Seminar for ASLBP (G-114) Basic Theory Gaseous Diffusion uses molecular diffusion to separate the isotopes of uranium Three basic requirements are needed Combine uranium with fluorine to form Uranium hexafluoride (UF
- 6) - "conversion process" Pass UF 6 through a porous membrane Utilize the different molecular velocities of the two isotopes to achieve slight separation and, thus, enrichment
April, 2011
- slide 57 of 88 Seminar for ASLBP (G-114) Basic Theory Enrichment of 235U through one porous membrane (or barrier) is very minute Thousands of passes are required to increase the enrichment of natural uranium (0.711%) to a usable assay of 3 - 5% for use in commercial reactors
April, 2011
- slide 58 of 88 Seminar for ASLBP (G-114) Gas flow through a Stage
April, 2011
- slide 59 of 88 Seminar for ASLBP (G-114) Typical Enrichment Stage (Cascade)
April, 2011
- slide 60 of 88 Seminar for ASLBP (G-114) Uranium Properties 238 U is most abundant 234 U increases with enrichment Watch activity ratios 0.00010.0010.010.1 1 10 100Nat LowDeplUranium Isotope PercentU-238U-235U-234 LEU DU April, 2011
- slide 61 of 88 Seminar for ASLBP (G-114) Feed Cylinders Arriving at Plant
April, 2011
- slide 62 of 88 Seminar for ASLBP (G-114) Lifting a cylinder filled with solid UF 6
April, 2011
- slide 63 of 88 Seminar for ASLBP (G-114) A Whole Lot of DU!
April, 2011
- slide 64 of 88 Seminar for ASLBP (G-114) Potential Hazards Primary overall hazard is a major UF 6 release Liquid cylinder drop is most credible When UF 6 reacts with water, it forms hydrofluoric acid Both corrosive and toxic Criticality accidents of special nuclear material (enriched U), with large radiation release
April, 2011
- slide 65 of 88 Seminar for ASLBP (G-114) "Tickling the Dragon's Tail"
April, 2011
- slide 66 of 88 Seminar for ASLBP (G-114) Decrease in Radiation Dose with Distance from Criticality Accident ~ 3 x 10 17 fissions 400 rad at 15 ft LD 50/60 (50% mortality)
Mortality near 100%
- 9000 rad x (3.16/10) 2 = 900 rad (Inverse Square law)
April, 2011
- slide 67 of 88 Seminar for ASLBP (G-114) Acute Radiation Damage to Hands
April, 2011
- slide 68 of 88 Seminar for ASLBP (G-114) View of Right Hand
- 24 Days Post
-Exposure April, 2011
- slide 69 of 88 Seminar for ASLBP (G-114) View of the Torso 24 Days Post
-Exposure April, 2011
- slide 70 of 88 Seminar for ASLBP (G-114) Other Significant Hazards The primary fire hazard is the Lube Oil system Primary radiological hazard is exposure of operating personnel to a major UF 6 release (HF)
Chemical hazards Over 600 separate chemicals used at the GDPs
April, 2011
- slide 71 of 88 Seminar for ASLBP (G-114) U Enrichment by the Gas Centrifuge Process
April, 2011
- slide 72 of 88 Seminar for ASLBP (G-114) Views of a Urenco Gas Centrifuge Cascade
April, 2011
- slide 73 of 88 Seminar for ASLBP (G-114) Current Gas Centrifuge (GC) Activities Louisiana Energy Services facility In June 2006, NRC issued license to LES to construct and operate the National Enrichment Facility in Lea County, NM
- up to 5% U
-235 enrichment The National Enrichment Facility is the first commercial facility in the United States to use gas centrifuge technology for enriching uranium
April, 2011
- slide 74 of 88 Seminar for ASLBP (G-114) Current Gas Centrifuge (GC) Activities USEC Facility NRC issued a 5
-yr license to USEC in February, 2004 to construct and operate a U enrichment test and demonstration facility at Portsmouth GDP, Piketon, Ohio Facility is called the Lead Cascade and will have up to 240 full-scale centrifuges In 2007, NRC issued a license to USEC to construct and operate the American Centrifuge Plant, a full
-scale U enrichment plant, at Portsmouth GDP . The application is currently under review. NRC issued its SER in 9/2006.
U-235 enrichment level would be up to 10% at ACP April, 2011
- slide 75 of 88 Seminar for ASLBP (G-114) Atomic Vapor L aser Isotope Separation DOE tech. U metal feed
- no UF 6 ! Laser Enrichment (AVLIS)
April, 2011
- slide 76 of 88 Seminar for ASLBP (G-114) Australian technology Separation of Isotopes by Laser Excitation Being developed by GE/Hitachi January, 2009: GE
-Hitachi Global Laser Enrichment LLC submitted Environmental Report for plant to be located in Wilmington, NC Laser Enrichment (SILEX)
April, 2011
- slide 77 of 88 Seminar for ASLBP (G-114) Fuel Fabrication
April, 2011
- slide 78 of 88 Seminar for ASLBP (G-114) Objective of Fuel Fabrication Convert enriched UF 6 into UO 2 fuel pellets, suitable for use as fuel in a reactor NRC licenses fuel fabrication plants under 10 CFR Part 70 April, 2011
- slide 79 of 88 Seminar for ASLBP (G-114) Fuel Fabrication Facilities Licensed By NRC Licensee Facility Location Typical Operations Conversion Process Final Product(s)
AREVA-L Lynchburg, VA LEU pellet loading, assemblies None LWR Assemblies AREVA-R Richland, WA LEU conversion, pellets, assemblies Dry LWR Assemblies, pellets BWX Technologies, Inc. Lynchburg, VA HEU/RTR fuels, Downblend Several HEU/RTR assemblies, LEU materials Global Nuclear Fuels
-Americas Wilmington, NC LEU conversion, pellets, assemblies Dry LWR assemblies Nuclear Fuel Services, Inc.
Erwin, TN HEU/RTR fuels, Downblend Several HEU/RTR assemblies, LEU materials Westinghouse (BNFL; Toshiba)
Columbia, SC LEU conversion, pellets, assemblies Wet (dry standby)
LWR assemblies NOTE: LEU is typically less than 5 wt % 235U. HEU enrichment typically involves > 90 wt % 235U April, 2011
- slide 80 of 88 Seminar for ASLBP (G-114) Westinghouse Facility
April, 2011
- slide 81 of 88 Seminar for ASLBP (G-114) UF 6 received from enrichment facility in cylinders packed within NRC/DOT packaging
Cylinders removed from package, weighed, and transferred to UF 6 storage pad UF 6 Cylinders Arriving at Facility UF 6 Receipt, Handling and Storage
April, 2011
- slide 82 of 88 Seminar for ASLBP (G-114) They are "dished" slightly on each end. End taper allows pellets to expand and contract through drastic temperature changes inside reactor without damaging fuel or cladding materials Pellet Production Final machined pellets are
typically about 0.5 inch in length & about 0.33 inch
in diameter.
April, 2011
- slide 83 of 88 Seminar for ASLBP (G-114) New Fuel Assembly Fuel Rods Fuel Rods and Assemblies
April, 2011
- slide 84 of 88 Seminar for ASLBP (G-114) Assembly is shock
-mounted so that damage does not occur during transport to customer which is usually performed by truck Shipping Container
April, 2011
- slide 85 of 88 Seminar for ASLBP (G-114) Fuel Fabrication Hazards UF 6 release Criticality Chemicals used in process
April, 2011
- slide 86 of 88 Seminar for ASLBP (G-114) Mixed Oxide (MOX)
Fuel Fabrication Objective is to remove 33
-35 MT of surplus Pu from US and Russian weapons programs 5-8% Pu in pellets + ordinary LEUO 2 pellets Pu and MOX powder more radiotoxic than ordinary UO 2 pellets April, 2011
- slide 87 of 88 Seminar for ASLBP (G-114) Fabricate MOX fuel at Savannah River Site in SC Facility is operated by Shaw Areva MOX Services and owned by DOE's NNSA NRC issued a construction authorization on March 30, 2005 and construction started two years later License application accepted 12/2006 NRC staff to complete review/prepare Safety Evaluation
- 12/2010 MOX fuel to be used in Duke Power's Catawba and McGuire NPPs Mixed Oxide (MOX)
Fuel Fabrication
April, 2011
- slide 88 of 88 Seminar for ASLBP (G-114) Blended Low
-Enriched Uranium (BLEU) Project NRC has approved 3 license amendments to authorize Nuclear Fuel Services (NFS), Erwin, TN to proceed with the BLEU project Project would convert about 33 metric tons of surplus highly enriched uranium from DOE into useable commercial reactor fuel for TVA
April, 2011
- slide 89 of 88 Seminar for ASLBP (G-114) NRC inspections of BLEU facilities already being performed Materials would be processed in uranyl nitrate, oxide conversion, and effluent processing buildings Quantities of low
-enriched uranium would be stored onsite for future processing into fuel for TVA nuclear plants (i.e. Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant)
Blended Low
-Enriched Uranium (BLEU) Project
April, 2011
- slide 90 of 88 Seminar for ASLBP (G-114) THE END