ML20237D885
| ML20237D885 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | 05000604 |
| Issue date: | 11/17/1987 |
| From: | ALL CHEMICAL ISOTOPE ENRICHMENT, INC. |
| To: | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20237D881 | List: |
| References | |
| 28811, NUDOCS 8712280007 | |
| Download: ML20237D885 (59) | |
Text
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I Preliminary Safety Analysis Report for the -) >
AlchemIE Facility 1 9' R Ohf[g Oliver Springs, Tennessee DEC G; u.s.nu 11987 } ~11 8
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Prepared by AlchemIE, Inc.
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() Table of Contents Title Page
1.0 INTRODUCTION
.......................................... 1-1 2.0
SUMMARY
............................................... 2-1 3.0 SITE CHARACTERIZATION ................................. 3-1 3.1 GEOGRAPHY AND DEMOGRAPHY ......................... 3-1 3.1.1 Site Location ............................. 3-1 3.1.2 Site Description .......................... 3-1 3.1.3 Population, Distribution, and Trends ...... 3-5 3.1.4 Uses of Nearby Land and Waters ............ 3-9 3.2 NEARBY INDUSTRIAL AND MILITARY ACTIVITIES ........ 3-11 3.2.1 Nuclear Industry ............. ............ 3-11 3.2.2 Non-Nuclear Industry ...................... 3-11 3.2.3 Military Activity ......................... 3-12 3.3 METEOROLOGY ...................................... 3-12 3.3.1 Regional Climatology ...................... 3-12 3.3.2 Local Meteorology ......................... 3-15 3.4 HYDROLOGY ........................................ 3-15 3.4.1 Surface Hydrology ......................... 3-15 3.4.2 Subsurface Hydrology ...................... 3-17
3.5 REFERENCES
....................................... 3-18 4.0 FACILITY AND FACILITY SUPPORT SYSTEM DESCRIPTION ...... 4-1 4.1 FACILITY DESCRIPTION ............................. 4-1 4.1.1 Process Area . ............................ 4-1
(~}
(s 4.1.2 Administrative Area ....................... 4-4 4.1.3 Recycle and Assembly Area ................. 4-4 4.1.4 Storage Area .............................. 4-4 4.2 FACILITY SUPPORT SYSTEMS DESCRIPTION ............. 4-4 4.2.1 Purge and Evacuation Systems .............. 4-4 4.2.2 Process Control Systems ................... 4-5 4.2.3 MCW System ................................ 4-5 4.2.4 Utility and Services Systems .............. 4-6 5.0 PROCESS SYSTEM DESCRIPTION ............................ 5-1 5.1 CENTRIFUGE THEORY ................................ 5-1 5.2 ISOTOPE CHARACTERISTICS .......................... 5-3 5.3 ISOTOPE ENRICHMENT PROCESS SYSTEMS ............... 5-3 5.3.1 Feed System ............................... 5-3 5.3.2 Enrichment Process Systems ................ 5-9 5.3.3 Withdrawal System ......................... 5-10 6.0 WASTE MANAGEMENT ...................................... 6-1 7.0 ACCIDENT ANALYSIS ..................................... 7-1 7.1 URANIUM RELEASE .................................. 7-1 7.2 NUCLEAR CRITICALITY ....c......................... 7-2 7.2.1 Containment Failure in the feed Area....... 7-2 7.2.2 Containment Failure in the Process Area.... 7-3 7.2.3 Containment Failure in the Withdrawal Area. 7-4
7.3 REFERENCES
....................................... 7-4 7.4 FIRE HAZARDS ..................................... 7-4 7.5 EXPLOSION, HIGH SPEED, OR HIGH PRESSURE HAZARDS... 7-5 7.6 NATURAL PHENOMENA HAZARDS ........................ 7-5 f}
7.7 REFERENCES
....................................... 7-5
Table of Contents (Continued)
Pace 8.0 CONDUCT OF OPERATIONS ................................. 8-1 8.1 ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE ......................... 8-1 8.2 TRAINING PROGRAM ................................. 8-1 9.0 9-1 QUALITY ASSURANCE .....................................
Appendix A ................................................. A-1 O
O ,
1 i
I
() List of Figures and Tables Pace Fiaure Title 3-1 Physiographic Map of Tennessee ................... 3-2 3-2 Geologic Map of the Oak Ridge / Oliver Springs Area 3-3 3-3 Topographic Map of AlchemIE Facility Site ........ 3-4 3-4 Location Map of Major Bodies of Surface Water in the Vicinity of the Oak Ridge ................... 3-6 3-5 The Oak Ridge Reservation Wildlife Management Area ............................................ 3-10 3-6 Annual Precipitation History of Oak Ridge, Tennessee ....................................... 3-14 3-7 1985 Annual Wind Rose at 10 Meters (33 ft) Level at Meterological Tower at ORGDP ................. 3-16 3-8 1985 Annual Wind Rose at 60 Meters (197 ft) Level at Meterological Tower at ORGDP ................. 3-16 4-1 AlChemIE Isotope Enrichment Facility ............ 4-2 5-1 Front View of Service Module .................... 5-2 5-2 Service Module .................................. 5-11 8-1 AlChemIE Organizational Structure ............... 8-2 Table Title Pace 3-1 1980 Population and 1990 Estimated Population for the Five County Area Surrounding AlChemIE Facility ......................................... 3-7 3-2 Actual Population Changes from 1980 to 1984 for the Five County Area Surrounding AlChemIE Facility ......................................... 3-8 3-3 Monthly Climatic Summary for the Oak Ridge Area Based on a 20-year Period ........................ 3-13 4-1 Applicable Codes and Standards ................... 4-3 5-1 Important Characteristics of Marketable Isotopes.. 5-4 n,
() Acronym List CPDF Centrifuge Plant Demonstration Facility DAS Data acquisition system DOE Department of Energy EV Evacuation vacuum GCEP Gas Centrifuge Enrichment Plant IDLE Immediately Dangerous to Life or Health LCC Lccal Control Center LFL' Lower flammability limit LSA Lower suspension assembly MCW Machine Cooling Water MDP Machine Drive Package MVIP Machine Variables Instrument Package MMES Martin Marietta Energy Systems MCU Master Control Unit MSL Mean Sea Level NOAA National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration NRC Nuclear Regulatory Commission ORGDP Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant ORNL Oak Ridge National Laboratory j
i ORR Oak Ridge Reservation PV/EV Purge and Evacuation PV Purge vacuum Quality Assurance O QA RD Restricted Data SALT Special Air Leak Test TVA Tennessee Valley Authority UF6 Uranium hexafluoride O
1.0 INTRODUCTION
This Preliminary Safety Analysis Report (PSAR) presents a hazards evaluation for the second phase of the AlchemIE isotope separation facilities. The first phase of the project is the production use of the Centrifuge Plant Demonstration Facility (CPDF) located at the Department of Energy's (DOE) Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant (ORGDP). The second phase is a new, larger production facility to be built in Oliver Springs, Tennessee.
This new facility, like the CPDF, will utilize the DOE gas centrifuge technology for operation. The gas centrifuges, which were originally used for the production of enriched uranium, will provide the isotopic enrichment of the various stable isotopes.
Isotope separation is effected by spinning the gases at high speed in a vacuum. Advantage is then taken of the mass difference between isotopes such that the heavier isotope will be located closer to the centrifuge wall while lighter isotopes will be located more toward the axial center of the centrifuge. Since more than one separation step is required to achieve the desired enrichment, the centrifuges are configured into cascades whereby the product from one stage, or group of centrifuge machines linked together in parallel, becomes the feed for subsequent stages of centrifuge machines.
() The Oliver Springs facility will utilize the centrifuge technology to provide isotopic enrichment for the production of stable isotopes for a variety of markets. Much of the process equipment used in the new facility will be obtained from DOE Gas Centrifuge Enrichment Plant (GCEP) at Piketon, Ohio. Originally, the Oliver Springs facility will house 120 centrifuge machines. This will gradually be expanded in phases to 600 centrifuge machines in order to accommodate increased production demands.
1 1
0 1-1 i l
]
SUMMARY
() 2.0 The purpose of this PSAR for the Oliver Springs isotopic separation facility is to assess the operational hazards of the facility based on the preliminary level of information available and to establish the factors necessary to protect the safety of operating personnel, the public, and the environment. The results of this safety analysis are summarized in this section. Since the safety analysis is preliminary and the details of the process have not yet been established, changes in the details may effect the safety criteria.
Radiation Safety - The radiological hazards associated with the operation are minimal. The only source of radiation is the residual contamination with uranium hexafluoride (UF 6), primarily in the form of UO F22 in some of the centrifuge machines from the previous operation at Piketon, Ohio. The first 120 centrifuges to be installed will not have been exposed to any UF 6. Therefore, there is little to no risk from exposure to radioactive materials.
Hazardous or Toxic Material Safety - Some of the proposed compounds for enrichment may be hazardous, toxic, or beth. Proper handling and storage of these compounds will reduce the potential for accidents involving a release of these compounds. Limiting the quantities, providing double containment for compounds near atmospheric pressure, and the use of appropriate safety equipment s should minimize the risk of exposure to these toxic or hazardous chemicals in the unlikely event that an accident should occur.
Criticality Safety - None of the proposed compounds are fissile or fissionable. No criticality hazards, therefore, will exist in the facility.
Fire Safety -
Some of the proposed compounds may be flammable, combustible, or pyrophoric. These compounds can be processed safely when proper handling, appropriate storage techniques, secondary containment in the feed area, and the use of appropriate safety equipment is implemented.' Following these criteria should virtually eliminate any risk to the operating personnel and pose no threat to the public.
Explosion. Hich Speed, or Hich Pressure Safety - None of the t proposed compounds will be operating in a high pressure environment. Some of the feed material may require pressures at or slightly above atmospheric, but the centrifuge separation process is performed under a high vacuum. Explosion conditions due to the process configuration or conditions will not exist.
High speed rotation of the centrifuge rotor is essential for the separation of the isotopes, however, design of the centrifuge and f's ,
V 2-1
() the associated floor mount system include adequate safety margin to provide containment and present no unacceptable risk to the operating personnel, the public, or the environment.
Natural Phenomena The current centrifuge system design has incorporated criteria to account for seismic and other natural phenomena events should they occur. None of the proposed compounds will add to the risk associated with these phenomena.
The conclusion of this safety analysis is that the risk of the facility operation, in terms of potential impact on the health and safety of the public and operating personnel, will be slightly less than that of operating the same equipment and facilities with UF6 as a process gas.
The rationale for this conclusion is as follows:
o The existing equipment and facilities are designed for gas centrifugation of UF6 , a hazardous, toxic material with radiological and nuclear criticality concerns.
o The proposed gases do not have radiological or nuclear criticality hazard concerns.
o The primary safety mechanism of the existing equipment is the
() total containment of the process gas. Generally, the process system is subatmospheric. The feed system for some compounds may not be subatmospheric but will have safety systems incorporated such as secondary containment to prevent inadvertent process gas release.
o The proposed gases are being deliberately selected for ease of feed and withdrawal. Unlike UF 6 , the gases will generally not require high temperatures in the feed equipment. During operations, the entire process will remain subatmospheric, eliminating much of the hazard resulting from containment failure.
o Even if a containment failure were to occur, the quantity of gas that would be present and implementation of safeguards would preclude a threat to the public or the operating personnel. The bounding accident scenario in Section 7.0 for toxic material hazards discusses the presence of toxic and flammable gas in the area if containment should fail. !
Section 3.0 summarizes the site characteristics which are discussed in more detail in the Environmental Report. Sections 4.0 and 5.0 provide descriptions of the facility, the support systems and the process systems. Waste management is discussed in 1
0 2-2 l
Section 6.0. Section 7.0 discusses each of the accident analyses.
Finally, Section 8.0 discusses the conduct of operations including the AlchemIE organizational structure, training programs, and operation and administrative concerns.
t
.O 2_3
() 3.0 SITE CHARACTERIZATION 3.1 GEOGRAPHY AND DEMOGRAPHY 3.1.1 Site Location The AlChemIE facility is located just south of the Oliver Springs community. Approximately 20 acres of relatively level site area will be required for the full 600 machine plant. Paved access roads to the building site from state highways will be provided, as well as a paved and lighted parking lot for about 50 cars. The entire area, including the parking lot, will be graded such that {
it will drain by gravity to underground storm sewers and existing natural drainage.
3.1.2 Site Description The AlChemIE isotopic separation facility is situated in the Valley and Ridge Subregion of the Appalachian Highlands Province which lies between the Cumberland Mountains to the northwest and the Great Smoky Mountains to the southeast. This subregion consists of a series of northeast-southwest trending ridges bordered by the Cumberland Plateau on the west and by the Blue Ridge Front on the east (Figure 3-1). The AlChemIE Facility site is located between the Black Oak Ridge on the southwest and Walden
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( Ridge on the north (Figure 3-2) in Poplar Creek Valley.
The ridges, known as the " folded Appalachians," were formed originally from sediments deposited in nearly horizontal layers during the Paleozoic Era. Late in the Paleozoic, crustal movements caused the faulting and folding of these compressed sediments. There is a great variety of soils in the Ridge and Valley Province due to the alternating rock types, vegetation, climate, and slope (Rothschild 1984).
Ridges and valleys are the result of differential erosion. The ridges remain because they consist of less easily erodible material, such as dolomite, cherty limestone, and sandy shale.
Soils tend to be thick and less easily eroded because of the residual material from the parent bedrock. Valleys develop in areas of more soluble limestone and easily eroded shale. The ridges have a fairly uniform elevation of 304.8 to 335.3 m (1,000 to 1,100 ft) above mean sea level (MSL) . The valleys are approximately 243.8 m (800 ft) above MSL. The elevation of the site varies from 231.6 to 243.9 m (760 to 800 ft) above MSL. See Figure 3-3 for more topographic details.
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Figure 3-3: Topographic Map of the AlChem1E Facility Site 3-4
The long, narrow ridges are breached at irregular intervals by f]) stream channels, which otherwise follow the trend of the ridges, The A1ChemIE Facility site which is located in the Poplar Creek valley and drains into Poplar Creek, eventually drains into the Clinch River. There are four Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) reservoirs which influence the flow and/or levels of the lower Clinch River: Norris and Melton on the Clinch River and Watts Bar and Fort Loudon on the Tennessee River.
The major surface water bodies in the vicinity of Oliver Springs and the tributaries in the vicinity of AlchemIE Facility are shown in Figure 3-4.
The vegetation cover near the AlChemIE Facility will consist primarily of maintained lawn area, with a minimal number of trees.
The majority of the site is composed of paved parking areas, roads, work areas, and buildings of various sizes and construction materials.
The areas with vegetative cover, primarily moved grasses, are well established and are not prone to significant erosion. The relatively flat topography of the site also limits potential from erosion resulting from precipitation events. ,
The maintained grounds, scattered trees, and paved or concreted f
areas present relatively no fire hazard, with the roads and other b non-combustible areas acting as effective fire breaks.
3.1.3 Population. Distribution, and Trends The A1ChemIE facility site is located between the towns of Oliver Springs and Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The population for the town of Oliver Springs is estimated to be 3,400 people. The population for nearby Oak Ridge is approximately 28,000.
The AlChemIE Facility impact area will include five counties -
Anderson, Knox, Loudon, Morgan, and Roane - which had a combined 1980 population of 480,622. Table 3-1 gives a breakdown in 1980 population and population density and the projected 1990 population for the five county area. The five county area had a combined 1980 population of 480,622 with a projected 1990 population of 553,635. Table 3-2 shows the actual increase in population from 1980 to 1984.
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Population % Change Counties 1980 1984 67,346 69,800 3.6 Anderson 28,553 29,600 3.7 Loudon 16,604 17,600 6.0 Morgan 48,425 50,900 5.1 Roane Knox 119.694 327.300 M 480,622 495,200 2.9 Total O
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O red 1e 2 Actue1 ropu1 tica cneasee tro= 198o to 1984 for the Five County Area Surrounding AlChemIE Facility (Source: Rand McNally, 1986)
Population Counties 1980 1984 % Change i
Anderson 67,346 69,800 3.6 Loudon 28,553 29,600 3.7 Morgan 16,604 17,600 6.0 Roane 48,425 50,900 5.1 Knox 319,694 327,300 2.4 Total 480,622 495,200 2.9 l
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The five counties had a combined 1980 population of 300,584 in the
( ') 18 to 64 year old age group with Knox County representing 68 percent of the total (Table 3-1). This population group represents the potential labor force of this area. The larger the area's potential labor force, the fewer migrants required to fill new job openings. The next largest age group is the 5 to 17 year J old age group, which had a combined 1980 population of 95,758. -
This population group represents the potential demand for primary }
and secondary education services. The combined 1980 population of the over 65 year old age group was 54,053. This population group represents the potential demand for medical and nursing home care.
The populations of these age groups are in the same proportions as the United States as a whole (DOE, 1985).
3.1.4 Uses of Nearby Land and Waters While agriculture activity has gradually declined, it still represents a significant portion of the total land use in the area. The percentages of total land area devoted to agricultural use in Anderson, Knox, Loudon, Morgan, and Roane counties are 20.3 i
percent, 32.4 percent, 52.9 percent, 19.8 percent, and 27.8 percent, respectively (U.S. Dept. of Commerce, 1983; State of Tennessee, 1974).
No mineral extraction occurs within the 8 km (5 mi) radius of the T site, although various resources are extracted in the surrounding
{s"J area.
A number of outdoor recreational activities take place in the area surrounding the site. The Clinch River and numerous lakes provide sites for water-related activities. Hiking trails and scenic roadways traverse the area; a campground is available for overnight visits. Seasonal hunting of game and migratory birds is a popular area sport which takes place only on some parts of the ORR since its designation as a wildlife management area in 1984 (Figure 3-5). Usage of all these facilities, especially during peak hour use, could result in substantial increases in the transient population of the immediate vicinity of the site. l The Ridge and Valley topography and the large amounts of land which are owned by Federal Government or resource companies have severely limited the industrial growth of the surrounding area.
The major industrial activities which provide much of the employment in the area are the DOE and DOE-related nuclear industry facilities. The three facilities located on the DOE ORR, ORNL, Y-12, and ORGDP are located within 11 km (7 mi) of the site.
ORNL is a research and development installation. The Y-12 Facility is a weapons manufacturing plant. ORGDP is currently utilized for research and development on enrichment techniques and short-term waste storage, after being placed on ready standby in the summer of 1985.
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() 3.2 NEARBY INDUSTRIAL AND MILITARY ACTIVITIES 3.2.1 Nuclear Industry The three major nuclear facilities within a 32 km (20 mi) radius of the AlchemIE Facility site are the ORGDP, located 11 km (7 mi) southwest; the Y-12 site, situated 6 km (4 mi) to the southeast; and ORNL situated 10 km (6 mi) to the south. All three sites are within the confines of the ORR. The ORGDP, Y-12 site, and ORNL employ 2,482, 7,130, and 5,204, respectively (Wyatt, 1987).
ORNL is a large multipurpose research laboratory whose basic mission is to expand knowledge, both basic and applied, in all areas related to energy. To accomplish this mission, ORNL conducts research in all fields of modern science and technology.
ORNL's facilities include nuclear reactors, chemical pilot plants, research laboratories, radioisotope production laboratories, and support facilities (MMES, 1986a).
e primary mission of the ORGDP was the Until the summer enrichment of UF6ofin1985'2})U the isotope. The plant has now Loen placed in " ready standby" for possible future uranium enrichment.
Other remaining missions include advanced enrichment technique research and development, various analytical laboratory programs, engineering support, computer support, and various waste treatment
(]
\
services (MMES, 1986a). Several new waste treatment facilities are now under construction.
The Y-12 Plant, which is immediately adjacent to the City of Oak Ridge, has five major responsibilities : (1) to produce nuclear weapons components, (2) to process source and special nuclear materials, (3) to provide support to the weapons design laboratories, (4) to provide support to other Martin Marietta Energy Systems (MMES) installations, and (5) to provide support to other government agencies (MMES, 1986a). Activities associated with these functions include production of lithium compounds, recovery of enriched uranium from scrap material, and fabrication of uranium and other materials into finished parts and assemblies.
Fabrication operations include vacuum casting, arc melting, powder compaction, rolling, forming, heat treating, machining, inspection, and testing.
3.2.2 Non-Nuclear Industry Non-nuclear industrial activities within 8 km (5 mi) of the AlChemIE Facility include various small manufacturing and service facilities primarily located in nearby Oak Ridge. Several industrial parks are presently being constructed which will house a variety of non-nuclear businesses.
O 3-11
[
() 3.2.3 Military Activity No known utility or military installations operate within an 8 km (5 mi) radius of the site.
3.3 METEOROLOGY 3.3.1 Recional Climatoloav The climatology of the Oak Ridge area is primarily a result of its topography. The Appalachian Mountain Range on the east and the Cumberland Plateau on the west have a protecting and moderating influence on the climate. As a result, the climate is milder than the more continental climate found just to the west on the Plateau or on the eastern side of the Smoky "7untains. The prevailing winds follow the topographic trend of the ridges: daytime, up-valley winds come from the southwest; nighttime, down-valley winds come from the northeast. The Smoky Mountains to the southeast provide shelter, so that severe storms such as tornadoes or high velocity windstorms are rare. Similarly, the mountains divert hot southerly winds that develop along the southern Atlantic coast.
Temperature. In the fall, slow-moving high-pressure cells suppress rain and remain stationary for days, thus providing mild weather. Year-round mean temperatures are about 15'C (58'F), with
() a January mean of approximately 3.5'C (38*F) and a July mean of approximately 25'C (77'F) (MMES, 1986a). Temperatures above 38'C (100*F) or below -18'C (O'F) occur but are unusual. Low-level temperature inversions occur during approximately 56 percent of l
the hourly observations (MMES, 1986a). Table 3-3 summarizes the climatic conditions of the Oak Ridge area.
Precipitation. The mean annual precipitation in the Oak Ridge area is approximately 138.2 cm (54.4 in.) based on 1948 through 1985 precipitation data (NOAA, 1965-1985). Mean annual precipitation ranges from more than 147 cm (58 in.) in the northwest to less than 117 cm (46 in) in the northeast (Rothschild, 1984). Rainfall is at a maximum near the Cumberland Mountain and decreases from northeast to southeast where it reaches a minimum at the foot of the Smoky Mountains.
Precipitation varies annually as shown in Figure 3-6. The period of highest rainfall is the winter months which are characterized by passing storm fronts. Winter storms are usually of low intensity and long duration. Another peak in rainfall occurs in July when short, heavy rain fall associated with thunderstorms is common. The total precipitation in 1985 was 107.7 cm (42.4 in.)
(MMES, 1986a).
Clear conditions prevail 30 percent of the time throughout the year; partly cloudy, 25 percent; and cloudy 45 percent. An average of 53 thunderstorms and 40 days of heavy natural fog
(])
3-12
Table 3-3. Monthly Climatic Summary for the Oak Ridge Area Based on a 20-year Period (Source: NOAA, 1965-1985)
Temperature Precipitation Snow Month Max Min Mean _ Rain a 'C cm em
'C .C 9.3 -1.8 3.3 13.5 8.6 January 10.7 -0.8 4.9 - 13.5 6.6 February 14.8 ' 2.4 8.6 14.2 3.3 March 21.7 8.3 15.0 11.2 0.03 April 26.2 12.5 19.3 9.1 0.0 May 29.6 17.1 23.3 10.2 0.0 June O July 30.7 19.1 24.9 14.2 0.0 30.4 18.4 24.4 9.7 .0.0 August 27.5 14.8 21.2 8.4 0.0 September 21.8 8.4 15.2 f8 1.5 October 14.3 2.2 8.3 10.7 1.3 November 9.3 -0.8 4.3 14.5 6.4 December 14.4 135.9 26.2 Annual a.*C'=(*F-32)X5/9.
O 4 l 3-13
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38-YEAR MEAN (138.2cm) :i::.:'
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1945 1930 1933 1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 WAR I
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Figure 3-6. Annual Precipitation History of Oak Ridge, Tennessee. I O Source: MMES, 1986.
3-14
0.4 km (0.25 mi.)] occur in a year (Union
() [ upper visibility Carbide, 1979). limit, Annual snowfall averages about 25.5 cm (10 in.)
per year with the maximum recorded snowfall for one year (1959) being 105 cm (41.4 in.) (DOE, 1985). Rain, snow, and fog occurs approximately 127, 3, and 34 days per year, respectively.
Wind. Examination of the annual wind roses (Figure 3-7 and 3-8) reveals that the prevailing winds are almost equally split into one prevailing two directions that are 180 degrees apart:
direction is from the SW to WSW sector and the other prevailing The winds are strongly direction is from the NE to ENE sector.
aligned along these directions due to the channeling effect induced by the ridge and valley structure of the area.
The opposing forces of regional and local winds counteract one another to yield a rather high occurrence of calm periods (23 percent) and the lowest wind-velocity classes (1 to 3 mph,In28 fact, percent; 4 to 7 mph, 26 percent) (Union Carbide, 1979).
the average wind speed for the Oak Ridge area is only 4.4 mph. A major factor in the stability of air movement is the Cumberland Plateau, which diminishes the strength of winter and early-spring storms. As in the case of rainstorms, local irregular ridges further minimize wind impact. The peak gust of record on the reservation is 95 km/hr (59 mph); the probable occurrence rate of gusts of tornadic proportion is only once in every 91,000 years (Thom, 1963). Tornadoes in the southeastern states in the past
(~)'
half century have been of small scale and short path length and have caused only minor damage.
3.3.2 Local Meteorology No atmospheric or meteorological data collection is expected to be undertaken specifically for this new facility. Data collection systems have been established for other similar facilities near Oliver Springs through cooperative efforts with DOE for determining atmospheric dispersion of gaseous release and for No measurement of uranium concentrations and other parameters.
uranium is to be processed withih'the AlchemIE isotope separation facility and the facility is not expected to significantly contribute any significant effluent volume.
3.4 HYDROLOGY 3.4.1 Surf ace Hydrol.om All waters drained from the AlchemIE site eventually reach the Tennessee, Ohio, and Mississippi water system (Struxness, 1967) via the Clinch River. The Clinch River is a highly complex hydraulic system that is influenced predominantlyElevations by the operation of three Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) dams. of the easterly upper reaches of the Clinch River are controlled by Norris Dam and Melton Hill Dam; while those of the water
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3-15
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_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ . _ _ _ _ - - - - _ - - _ - - - --- d
downstream from the Melton Hill Dam are controlled by Watts Bar f Dam.
Generally, the tributaries of the Clinch River conform to the physiographic layout of the Valley and Ridge Province by paralleling the Clinch for a long distance before crossing a ridge gap to unite with it. The new effect is a trellis drainage pattern: an extended series of troughs drained by many streams as opposed to a simple stream valley.
The Oak Ridge / Oliver Springs area is composed of a series of limited drainage basins through which small streams feed the Clinch River. These watersheds generally fall about 600 ft from the headwaters to the outlet (McMaster, 1967). The largest of these drainage basins is that of Poplar Creek, which flows from northeast to southwest. Poplar Creek receives drainage from an area of 136 sq miles.
The topographic relief of the Poplar Creek drainage basin exceeds that of all other water systems in the Oak Ridge area (TVA, 1958).
The water flows from the western half of the watershed lying in the Cumberland Mountain section of the Appalachian Plateau Province at elevations exceeding 3200 ft to the valleys in the Valley and Ridge Physiographic Unit at altitudes of 741 ft near the mouth. Most of the basin is underlain by shale and sandstone of relatively low water-bearing capacity. Three large springs arise to contribute to Brush Fork, a maj0r tributary of Poplar Creek, that flows through the city of Oak Ridge. Poplar Creek flows through a basin that is about 65% wooded; the remainder is farmland. Extensive surface mining has been undertaken in the Cumberland Mountain district. The creek also receives effluents from several small communities, including Oliver Springs.
3.4.2 Subsurface Hydroloov Intraformational groundwater flow is primarily controlled by the distribution and orientation of joints, fractures, folds, and faults in sandstone and shale units, and of solution features in carbonate rocks. Flow is also strongly influenced by topography.
For this area, groundwater flow is predominantly a near-surface phenomena. However, although the limiting depth of water movement is uncertain, significant water movement may occur at great depth
[>300 m (1000 ft)) along the thrust faults and other geologic structures in the area. Very little is known about the hydrological relationships between formations or about groundwater movement on a regional scale.
Water-table maps may be indicative of the direction of groundwater movement, at least in the near surface, weathered zone of rock units. Deeper in the groundwater flow system, in relatively unweathered rock, water movement is controlled by the orientation of secondary openings. Insufficient information is known about 3-17
l l
I 1
() the distribution of secondary openings, especially in carbonate rocks, to accurately. predict groundwater movement.
Groundwater is generally in an unconfined (water table) condition, l but locally perched water exists, and confined conditions are i likely. The change in groundwater storage is reflected by I
fluctuating water table elevations. The depth to water is .
generally greatest in October to December and shallowest in .
January to March. Ground water elevations in the area vary for '
specific locations, but for general purposes they may be considered as being between 740 and 750 ft above MSL. The water table is usually a subdued reflection of topography, therefore water is deepest below ridges.
3.5 REFERENCES
l l
Hilsmeier, W. T., 1963, " Supplementary Meteorological Data for Oak Ridge". USAEC Report ORO-199. USAEC Oak Ridge Operations. Oak Ridge, Tennessee.
Martin Marietta Energy Systems, Inc. (MMES). 1986a.
Environmental Surveillance of the Oak Ridge Reservation and J Surrounding Environs During 1985. ORNL-6271. Oak Ridge National )
Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee.
Miller, C. E., et al., 1974, Fundamentals of Soil Science, John Wiley and Sons, Inc.
McMaster, W. M., 1967, " Hydrologic Data for the Oak Ridge Area, Tennessee," United States Geological Survey Water Supply, Paper 1839-N.
McMaster, W.M., 1973, Geologic Map of the Oak Ridge Reservation Tennessee USAEC, Report ORNL-TM-713, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). 1965-1985. Local Climatological Data for Oak Ridge, Tennessee. U.S.
Department of Commerce, monthly publication.
Project Management Corporation and Tennessee Valley Authority.
1975. Clinch River Breeder Reactor Project Environmental Report.
Docket No. 50-537.
Puetz, C. J., Telinessee County Maps, Appelton, Wisconsin Rand McNally, 1986, Commercial Atlas and Marketing Guide, 117th-ad. Rand McNally and Co. Chicago.
Rothschild, E.R. 1984. Hydrology. ORNL-6026/V10. Oak Ridge,
() Tennessee.
3-18
O Rothschild, E. R., 1984, Geology - ORNL-6026/V8, Oak Ridge, Tennessee.
State of Terinessee. 1974. Tennessee Statistical Abstract 1974.
Struxness, E. G., et al., 1967, Clinch River Study Steering Committee, " Comprehensive R(port of the Clinch River Study," USAEC Report ORNL-4035, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee.
Tennessee Valley Authority, 1958, " Drainage Areas for Streams in the Tennessee River Basin," Report 0-5929, TVA Division of Water Control Planning, Hydraulic Data Branch, Chattanooga, Tennessee.
Thom, H.C.S. 1963. Tornado Probabilities. Mon. Weather Rev.
(Oct-Dec): 730-36.
Union Carbide Corporation. 1979. Environmental Assessment of the Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant Site. DOE /EA-0106. Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee.
U.S. Department of Commerce. 1983. County and City Data Book.
Bureau of the Census.
9
() U.S. Department of Commerce. 1982.
Economic Activity and Population.
County Level Projections of Bureau of Economic Analysis.
U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). 1985. Environmental Assessment for a Monitored Retrievable Storage facility. Vol. 2 of Monitored Retrievable Storage Submission to Congress. DOE /RW-0035.
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), 1985, Safety Analysis Report Guide. Regulatory Guide 1.70, Revision 2, " Standard Format and Content of Safety Analysis Reports for Nuclear Power Plants",
NUREG-75/094.
University of Tennessee. 1985. Tennessee Statistical Abstract 1985/86. Center of Business and Economic Research, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee.
Wyatt, Steven. 1987. Personal Communication on May 18, 1987.
Public Affairs Specialist, DOE, Oak Ridge, Tennessee.
O 3-19
() 4.0 FACILITY AND FACILITY SUPPORT SYSTEM DESCRIPTION The AlchemIE isotopic separation facility will be located just south of Oliver Springs, Tennessee. This facility will use the gas centrifuge technology for the production of separated stable isotopes of various elements. It is currently planned that the building be constructed in phases. The original building will contain 120 gas centrifuge machines, but will be expanded in phases to 600 machines.
4.1 FACILITY DESCRIPTION The building construction will be of steel frame with aluminum siding and roof, insulated for energy conservation and process temperature control, and metal lined on the inside walls. The original construction will consist of four basic areas: Process area, Machine Assembly and Recycle area, Storage area, and Administrative area. The Storage area will be arranged such that it can be utilized as a part of the expansion for 480 additional machines.
The layout as shown on Figure 4-1 is preliminary but should provide adequate space for the initial 120 machines as well as permit expansion to the full 600 machines. As more detailed layouts are prepared to include such items as vacuum pumps,
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transformers, water pumps and heat exchange systems, etc., the layout may change. The layout as shown provides space to utilize conventional overhead bridge cranec with inching controls similar to that used in the Oak Ridge CPDF building.
Table 4-1 lists the applicable codes and standards to be used in the design and construction of the facility. All of the facility areas and their related equipment will be inspected and verified as being in operationally sound condition prior to operation by AlChemIE.
4.1.1 Process Area The process area includes the cascade, control room and emergency generator areas and related equipment. The process area, as shown in Figure 4-1, is approximately 14,000 sq. ft. and will be about 140 ft. wide by 100 ft. long by 85 ft. high. It will house the centrifuge machines with their associated base mounts, service modules, process piping and valving, process controls, LCC, diagnostic carts, machine handling cranes, electrical transformers and switchgear, back-up power systems, motor control centers, environmental control equipment and duct work, off-gas systems, feed and withdrawal equipment, utility piping and equipment, and ,
other miscellaneous items as required by the process for the j isotope being enriched. A mezzanine, approximately 20 feet above the operating floor and about 140 ft. long by 30 ft. wide, will be provided for various process related equipment and auxiliary
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() Table 4-1. Applicable Codes and Standards Southern Standard Building Code for Type A construction with Group F occupancy.
UBC, Seismic Requirements American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC), " Specification for the Design, Fabrication, and Erection of Structura'l Steel for Buildings."
American Concrete Institute (ACI) Code 318, " Building Code Requirements for Reinforced Concrete."
ANSI Standard A58.1-1972, " Minimum Design Loadings in-Buildings l and Other Structures, Building Code Requirements 4."
National Electrical Code O
4
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O 4-3
O 4.1.2 Administrative Area The Administrative area will be approximately 10,000 sq. ft. in size and will contain air conditioned offices, conference rooms, rest rooms, change rooms, a laboratory area, and a training area.
4.1.3 Recycle and Assembly Area The Machine Recycle and Assembly area will be approximately 140 ft. wide by 60 ft. long (8,400 sq. ft.) by 125 ft. high. It will contain two fixed stands for assembly and disassembly of the centrifuge machines, a balance stand for balancing the centrifuge rotors, in-process storage for centrifuge parts,. assembly and disassembly equipment for miscellaneous centrifuge sub-assemblies, rotor handling hoists and monorails, and rails for use by the process area cranes in taking assembled machines in and out of the area.
4.1.4 Storace Area The storage area will'be an extension to the Machine Assembly and Recycle area and will be about 60 ft. long by 140 ft. wide (8,400 sq. ft.) by 85 ft. high. A " mud" slab will be.placed in this area 2'-0" below the remaining building slabs such that additional O centrifuge mounts can be installed at some future date. Minimal temperature control will be installed as required for storage of centrifuge rotors and other subassemblies. 1 The initial 120 machines will be connected with the additional 480 machines as they are added in phases to meet product demand and cascade requirements. Changes in piping cnd valving will also be provided in the service modules to satisfy tue new cascading requirements. Feed, product, and tails interconnection *J piping and valving will be installed along building columns to connect the cascades as required.
4.2 FACILITY SUPPORT SYSTEMS DESCRIPTION Support systems required in the operation of the AlchemIE Facility include: Purge and Evacuation (PV/EV) Systems, Process Control Systems, Machine Cooling Water System, and Utilities and Services.
Each of these support systems will be inspected and verified as operationally sound prior to operation by AlChemIE.
4.2.1 Purae and Evacuation Systang A centrifuge must operate in a vacuum,.because even a small amount of air or light gases in the space between the' rotor and casing can cause excessive drag on the centrifuge rotor and ultimately result in the destruction of the rotor.' Two independent. systems provide vacuum for the cascade, the evacuation vacuum (EV), and
( ' 4-4 j
the purge vacuum (PV) systems. The PV/EV systems function to f)
' establish an acceptable foreline pressure for the machine diffusion pumps. The evacuation vacuum (EV) system is used to rough-pump to a level of vacuum acceptable for purge vacuum system '
(PV) operation. As each machine becomes ready, it is valved off the EV system and placed on the PV system which takes over and . maintains the required vacuum during process operations. 4.2.2 Process Control Systems 4.2.2.1 Monitorina and Control I The monitoring and control will be provided at the Local control The LCC will Center (LCC) which is mounted in the control room. monitor and analyze the Machine Variables Instrument Package The MVIP provides the (MVIP) and control alarm and status protection information. functions for the machine and the Machine l Drive Package (MDP). The control system will also initiate l automatic cascade isolation actions to protect the cascade from i potential cascade-wide failures. f i 1 4.2.2.2 Samplino Sample ports will be provided at various locations. These and tails and analyzed samples in will be taken of the feed, product, order to monitor the separation process. (} The sampling system is provided in the AlChemIE facility to assure product purity, to control the release of hazardous or toxic materials, and to protect equipment integrity. The sampling system includes equipment such as: o mass spectrometers o sample carts and related equipment o leak detectors, helium and halogen types o special air leak test (SALT) carts o residual gas analyzers o product light gas analyzers Analytical services required for sampling include: o isotopic o chemical o metallurgical 4.2.3 MCW System The Machine Cooling Water (McW) system is a closed loop system which provides cooling water for all centrifuge machines in the facility. The cooling water is used to cool the machine lower suspension assembly (LSA) and diffusion pump. {} 4-5 1 ( L _.__ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
O 4.2.4 Utility and Service Systems In. order to support the facility activities, several utilities and service systems will be necessary to support facility operations. The following is a list of utilities and services will be provided by outside sources:
- Electrical power
- Sanitary water
- Sanitary sewer
- Fire water
- Natural gas
- Storm drainage
- Solid waste dispoes.1
--Emergency response
- Classified waste disposal Additional utilities and services necessary for facility operation-will be provided as a result of the construction of the new facilities. These include but are not limited to the following:
- Cooling tower water
- Dry air
- Security protection 4.2.4.1 Electric Power System The electric power system will provide sufficient electric power to support all facility loads. To accomplish this, the electric power system must perform the following:
- 1. Provides normal electric power to all facility loads.
- 2. Provides separate electric power to the centrifuge machine drives.
- 3. Provides. emergency power to required important loads in the event of loss of normal power.
4.2.4.2 Water Systems The AlchemIE isotope separation facility will be supplied with water from area sources for' process, fire protection, and sanitary purposes. 4.2.4.3 Natural Gas Natural gas will be supplied to the facility from area sources for heating the building and other miscellaneous uses as required. O 4-6
() 4.2.4.4 Eaulement Discosal A burial ground will be provided by outside sources for the disposal of equipment previously contaminated with uranium or classified. Safe, approved disposal of other waste materials such as uncontaminated piping, valves, electronic parts, etc. or toxic waste will also be required. No waste disposal is currently being planned for onsite. 4.2.4.5 Emeraency Response No onsite medical services are planned. Emergency services will be provided by available area medical services. The local Fire Department will be required to provide fast response in the event of an emergency and to provide periodic inspections as necessary. 4.2.4.6 Comoressed Air System The compressed air system will include a normal plant air system, which will also be provided for limited emergency use. The system will be used primarily for process operations and, after filtering, for instrumentation. The emergency air subsystem will use manual control to provide adequate air for crucial valves and controls. [} 4.2.4.7 Fire Protection System The fire protection system within the facility will include wet-pipe and pre-action sprinkler systems, manual pull-boxes, a smoke detector system, and portable fire extinguishers. Fire detection alarms will be provided for personnel evacuation. Built-in monitoring of critical system functions provides assurance that the system will operate as required. 4.2.4.8 Security Security services will be provided to secure the AlChemIE-facility. A lighted security _ fence with' outriggers and barbed wire will be provided around the. site area for both industrial security and classified information protection. The classified storage building and the operating areas of the process building will contain information and equipment classified by the U.S. Department of Energy as Secret-RD and Confidential-RD; thus, controlled' access limited to Q-cleared personnel will be provided. O 4-7
PROCESS SYSTEM DESCRIPTION (]) 5.0 The purpose of the AlchemIE facility at oliver Springs is for the production of enriched stable isotopes of non-uranium elements, i Gas centrifuges can be used to separate the isotopes of an element because of the difference in mass of each isotope due to having a different number of neutrons in the nucleus. Theoretically, the , gas centrifuge can enrich any gaseous element or compound. The most favorable feed stock materials for this facility are monotonic gaseous elements such as Xenon and Krypton. Many fluorinated compounds work well because they are gaseous; fluorine itself has only one isotope and therefore_ plays no part in the enrichment. Other useful materials are certain organometallic compounds. ! Isotopes of Xe, Kr, and Te will be produced for medical and research applications. Enriched mercury will be produced for the i fluorescent lighting industry. Another example isotope i application is chlorine for pesticide tagging. Other ; market / isotope possibilities will be explored. 1 5.1 CENTRIFUGE THEORY Separation by gas centrifugation is an example of the more general phenomenon of pressure diffusion in which diffusion occurs across a gas pressure gradient, produced in this case by the centrifugal O field. The. fundamental mass separating effect that occurs within the rotor of a gas centrifuge is the result of two opposing molecular processes acting simultaneously on the gas. These processes are the centrifugal field, which tends to move the gas molecules to the rotor wall, and the thermal motion of the molecules that tends, through diffusion, to distribute the molecules evenly throughout all of the rotor volume. Gaseous feed material is fed into the centrifuge containing the rotor which spins at high speed inside the evacuated casing. The gas is then accelerated to approximately the speed of the rotor. Centrifugal force causes the heavier isotopes to move toward the wall of the rotor, producing partial separation of the isotopes. This separative effect is increased by the thermal motion which sets up an axial countercurrent flow of gas within the centrifuge. This countercurrent flow is represented schematically in Figure 5-
- 1. Feed is introduced near the middle of the rotor, and enriched and depleted streams are removed near the ends.
The distinguishing feature of the countercurrent gas centrifuge, as illustrated in Figure 5-1, is the internal circulation of gas ' in the axial direction. As the gas moves up the rotor core, it can be viewed as being stripped of its heavy component by diffusive exchange in the centrifugal field to arrive at the top C:) i 5-1 l
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() of the rotor as a stream enriched in the lighter component. Similarly, the peripheral downward flowing stream arrives at the bottom of the rotor enriched in the heavy component. In this manner, an axial concentration gradient is established. 5.2 ISOTOPE CHARACTERISTICS Approximately 30 elements are available that may be isotopically enriched by the gas centrifuge process. The present isotope-As the market is small due to limited availability and high cost. availability of large quantities of isotopes at reasonable cost becomes a reality, the market for isotopes will grow. Table 5-1 summarizes the important characteristics of those isotopes deemed immediately marketable by AlChemIE. A maximum of 100 lb. of any chemical compound (with the exception of mercury and sulfur) will be in process at any one time. As many as ten different compounds may be processed concurrently. The amount of feed, product, and waste stored on site at any one time will be a maximum of 500 lbs. for a single compound, with a few exceptions such as mercury. 5.3 ISOTOPE ENRICHMENT PROCESS SYSTEMS , The isotope enrichment process systems include the following:
- 1. The feed system,.which supplies gaseous non-uranium elements or compounds to the centrifuge machines.
(]) The enrichment orocess system, which performs isotopic 2. separation to obtain the desired enrichment of various isotopes (or elementsior compounds).
- 3. The withdrawal systems, which collect the cascade product and transfers the product to shipping containers. The undesired isotope or tails will also be collected and placed in appropriate containers by a similar waste withdrawal system.
These systems are described below. 5.3.1 Feed System The feed system provides the elements or compounds to the cascade at the required pressure and flow rate. The temperatures, pressures, and flow rates used will vary according to the feed material. Feed preparation may involve heating of some of the feed stocks in hot-air enclosures or by other means. For most materials to be-processed, heating will not be required, and generally the pressure will be subatmospheric. Each element or compound will be handled according to standard operational procedures. O 5-3
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() 5.3.2 Enrichment Process System 5.3.2.1 Centrifuae Machine The centrifuge is a countercurrent gas centrifuge in which an axial circulation of the process gas is induced to produce a large end-to-end separation effect. The countercurrent flow is induced by the presence of the stationary bottom scoop and is aided by an axial temperature gradient. Heat is produced within the rotor by the interaction of the rotating gas and stationary product and waste scoops at the top and bottom of the rotor, respectively. Since the exterior of the rotor is a vacuum, the heat will be transported to the outer casing by radiation. By incorporating a reflective radiation shield between the rotor and the casing in the lower section of the centrifuge, an axial temperature gradient is produced in the rotor wall. The high angular velocity of gas induced by the rotor and the axial countercurrent flow result in the partial separation of the isotopes. The centrifuge machine performs the full isotopic separation in the cascade. To perform its separative function, the machine requires support from the Machine Variables Instrument Package (MVIP) and the Machine Drive Package (MDP). The MDP drives the centrifuge by converting 208-VAC, 3-$, 60-Hz electrical power from the electric power system into a nominal 208-VAC, 3-$, variable-frequency power source for the machine O motor. The basis for the power frequency supplied to the motor is the Master Control Unit (MCU) frequency that is transmitted from the control room through the MVIP. The power output to the motor is proportional to the frequency of the MCU. No direct operator control of the MDP is available at the MDP unit. The MVIP is the interface between the centrifuge and the LCC. The MVIP provides the control and protection functions for the machine and the MDP. The MVIP will also transmit a 8-bit word to the LCC giving the status of the machine and any alarm conditions. Machine operating modes include gas throughput, recycle, isolate, dump, fill, pump down, and header fill. Valving operations involving a single machine are accomplished at that machine and are controlled automatically by the MVIP or manually via block valves. The centrifuge speed is controlled at the design operating speed by the MCU. Control devices are present which prevent overspending. Several machine modifications are required for the proposed stable isotope separation. First, the position of the tails and product scoops will vary according to the isotopes being separated. Secondly, modifications to the upper' suspension must be made to reduce the size of the opening at the top scoop post to prevent O 5-9
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l l () excessive spillover of the light process gas from the rotor into the PV system. Additional valves will be required to fully control each separation process. 5.3.2.2 Cascade Operation The enrichment process system performs isotopic separations to provide isotopes at the desired enrichment. Centrifuge machines with their associated machine controls and drives including the MVIP, MDP, machine piping and valves, and process piping and valves are arranged in cascades according to the separation desired. The centrifuge machines are connected to service modules containing process and service piping, valves, electrical distributf.cn, cables and controlc, instrumentation, HVAC ducting, and electrical instrumentation trays. The S9rvico nodules are shown in Figure 5-2. Six service modules capable ~of supporting 20 machines each will be installed in the process arer. The cascade piping will be reconfigure as required to service the various enrichment processes. I The cascade can operate in the following modes: tiiroughput, recycle, dump, fill, pumpdown, and header fill. Cascade operating () mode selection can be made from theslocalicontrol center in the control room. 5.3.3 l WithIrawal Systems , t There are two withdrawal systems for the contrifuge enrichment process, one for product and one for ttails, but the two systems. ,, are similar. Tne withdrawal systems receive, cool, and ccilecth the product and tails from the cascade. The isotopes from the cascade (s) are cooled in withdrawal equipment similar to the portable dump carts used at the GCPP facility for first train , start-up. Either liquid nitrogen or refrigerant-ll may be used as I the coolirg mcchanism depending on the design and temperature i requirements. Other gases not condensed at the withdrawal temperatures are processed through chemical traps and vacuum pumps before being exhausted to the atmosphern. s. The product is transferred to product shipping containers. The tails are similarly cooled and transferred to tails shipping ! containers. l 1 l 9 i J 5-10 4
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() 6.0 WASTE MANAGEMENT Some waste material generated from the operation of the AlchemIE facility will be classified. This classified waste must be Some disposed of in a classified DOE burial ground on the ORR. radioactive contaminated waste may be generated in the operation of the AlchemIE facility from wrecked contaminated centrifuge machines. These wastes, which are also classified, will first be packaged in sealed plastic bags Anyandunclassified will also be contaminated disposed of as classified contaminated waste. waste will be packaged in plastic bags and disposed of as contaminated waste in a contaminated eqpipment burial ground. Operations associated with the DOE research and production facilities on the ORR give rise to several types of waste materials so several types of disposal facilities are available to be used. Nonradioactive solid wastes are buried in the Centralized Sanitary Landfill or in designated burial areas. Hazardous wastes are shipped to approved disposal sites or stored on site. Radioactive solid wastes are buried in disposal sites or placed in retrievable storage units either above or below ground, depending on the type and quantity of radioactive material present and the economic value involved. In addition to contaminated or classified waste, toxic waste material will also be produced at the AlChemIE facility. These L will be handled by either decontamination or by appropriate disposal other than that provided by ORR facilities. l O 6-1
() 7.0 ACCIDENT ANALYSIS The purpose of t. sis accident analysis is to evaluate the bazardous conditions which may result during operation of the gas centrifuge for isotopic separation. This includes the effect of accidents involving toxic or radiological materials, fire, high pressure, explosion, and natural phenomena upon the plant populace and the public. As discussed in Section 5.0, the AlChemIE facility will process only stable isotopes; thus, the only radiological hazards posed by the facility would result from a release of any residual contamination in the centrifuge machines. 7.1 URANIUM RELEASE As stated previously, the centrifuge machines and various associated support equipment such as service modules will be obtained from the DOE GCEP facility in Piketon, Ohio. Approximately one-half of the 1500 centrifuge machines obtained from DOE are not contaminated with uranium. Therefore, the first 120 machines and very likely the additional 480 machines, will contain no uranium contamination. Conceivably, no contaminated rotors will ever be used for the isotopic separation. Since uncontaminated machines will be used first, many years of operation will be provided prior to using contaminated machines. Finally, the service modules and associated valves and piping obtained from GCEP are from train 2 which is not contaminated. {} For the GCEP centrifuges which have been exposed to UF 6 , the level of uranium contamination is estimated to be only 82 grams i 31 grams with assay varying from 0.73% to less than 2.0%. (See Appendix A.) In this case, the likelihood of a uranium release is mitigated by the facts that 1) the process normally operates under high vacuum conditions; therefore, given a breach in the vacuum containment, there would not be a source to readily expel the uranium bearing material into the operating environment; 2) previous operations with materials other than uranium indicate that the residual uranium contamination is not readily transferrable so that, given a breach in the vacuum containment, only a fraction of the residual uranium would be available to be releared. Since the occupational dose is well within allowable limits, calculation of a resulting dose to the public is not necessary because the resulting exposure would also be within allowable limits. Therefore, release of uranium material as a result of postulated breaches of the vacuum containment would result in extremely low radiological exposures to both the public and operating personnel. 7-1
h 7.2 TOXIC MATERIAL HAZARDS Some of the compounds proposed for processing in the new AlchemIE isotope separation facility are toxic, hazardous, or both. If an accident should occur which releases sufficient quantities of the material to the surrounding area, personnel in the area can be affected. In order to guard against such an event occurring, the likelihood of an accident occurring must be minimized and the consequences of the accident, should it occur, must be reduced. The probability of releases to the surrounding area is decreased using the centrifuge process since it is expected that the entire feed, process, and withdrawal system will be kept subatmospheric. If it becomes necessary to introduce a feed container containing a compound at a pressure above atmospheric pressure (such as a low-pressure gas cylinder), AlchemIE proposes to enclose the parts of the feed system that are above atmospheric in a secondary containment. This secondary containment will not only reduce the hazard consequences of primary containment failure, it will also significantly alleviate the difficulty of cleanup operations, should a primary containment failure occur. 7.2.1 Containment Failure in the Feed Area O The largest postulated accident source term for a toxic material release will be present in the feed area of the gas centrifuge process. This is because the feed container is part of the primary containment for the compound and, at the start, contains the largest amount of toxic material. Thus, a containment failure involving a feed container is the bounding toxic material accident release from the process activities. If the feed containment pressure is subatmospheric and the containment fails, air will initially flow into the containment. As the containment pressure rises, process alarms and some process control actions will automatically be generated. When the containment pressure reaches atmospheric level, the air inleakage will stop. Depending on the volatility of the compound, the toxic material will fume from the containment failure point. Several factors can aggravate this containment failure. The larger the containment failure postulated, the faster the air inleakage will take place. This may lessen the available reaction time for operating personnel. If the compound is reactive to a component of air (as is UF 6 ), the rate at which the compound fumes off will be increased by reaction product pressure. Breaking a feed container that is not connected to the process (a handling accident) is a subset of this containment failure accident. This f would be the worst case since the potential for immediate release i of the entire source term is present and operating personnel would ggg almost certainly be directly involved in the release. For 7-2 1
() example, a work crew that inadvertently broke open a feed container of dimethyl mercury while connecting it to the process would be splashed by the liquid. The breathing environment around the broken container would be extremely dangerous. (A 6-m cube of air would have a toxic concentration about 50 times the IDLH level if 100g of the liquid volatilized.) The toxic material concentration would decrease rapidly with distance from the failure site. (The concentration would probably be below the IDLH level about 40 m from the site.) In this scenario, the principal mechanism that would preserve the safety of the operating personnel would be the full body protective equipment that would be worn during feed container operations. Immediate evacuationA and decontamination of the personnel would follow n release. protected response team would recover the remaining liquid as rapidly as possible. If the feed containment pressure is above atmospheric, the process gas will initially flow out of the containment until the containment pressure equalizes with the surrounding atmosphere. Once atmospheric pressure is reached, the release characteristics are similar to those described for a subatmospheric release. In this situation, however, the accident would be somewhat mitigated by two factors. Pressures only slightly above atmospheric pressure are expected to be used so highly pressurized containers of feed material are not necessary. Secondly, AlchemIE proposes to enclose any pressurized part of the feed system. This O secondary containment will contain a leak type containment failure. The scenario of breaking open a feed container that is not connected to the process, however, is still the worst case; there would be no secondary containment and the event would occur in a similar manner to that already described, but at a slightly higher rate. 7.2.2 Containment Failure in the Process Area Calculations show that the quantity of gas in the process / equipment during operation will be relatively low compared to the amount of compound present in the feed area. The process area was deliberately designed to handle UF6 vapor at very low pressure with unusually high containment reliability for a chemical process system. Personnel activities in this area are normally very limited. Thus, not only is the probability of a containment failure less than that of a containment failure in the feed area, but the consequences of such an event caused by equipment failure or human error are less severe. Any containment failure accident postulated for this area is bounded by the postulated feed area accident. 7-3
i (f 7.2.3 Containment Failure in the Withdrawal Area The product and tails gas will be withdrawn from the process area into withdrawal systems by vacuum conditions. .Both the product and the tails systems will be subatmospheric. Because the gas will be split between the two separate systems, the quantity of gas present as a source term will be less than that present in the feed system. AlchemIE proposes to use simple cold trapping for the vacuum production. Depending on the compound used, the compound will be liquid or solid at normal withdrawal conditions. Thus, the consequences of a containment failure will be less than those of a containment failure in the feed area, and such an accident postulated for this area is bounded by the postulated feed area accident. 7.3 NUCLEAR CRITICALITY As discussed in Section 7.1, the original 120 centrifuge machines installed will have seen no UF6.- However, 31 it is estimated that g of U at an average each contaminated machine contains 82 assay of less than 2.0%. This amount of uranium is insufficient to form a critical mass under the most optimum conditions of full modulation and reflection-(Paxton, 1986). Therefore, nuclear criticality in a centrifuge is not a credible event. FIRE HAZARDS Q 7.4 The gas centrifuge process containment is normally air free during operation; the containment would have to fail in Depending order for an on the oxidizer to be present and combustion to occur. compound used, the amount of released material is assumed to be insufficient for combustion. For example, 1000g of dimethyl mercury (with 100g of the material volatilizing during the occident), the concentration of material in air would be .005% in a 6-M cube of air surrounding the. release site. While ddta for r I the lower flammable limit (LFL) of dimethyl mercury is not available, similar compounds have LFL's in the range of.1 to 2%. Because the release source term is expected to be small, sustained combustion under any circumstances is considered remote. In the unlikely event.that' larger amounts of the compound are released, proper handling, appropriate storage, secondary containment in the feed area, and use of safety equipment should significantly reduce the consequences associated with such a release. From feasibility testing of a limited number of machines in the CPDF, the dynamic heating inside the gas centrifuge can be evaluated to determine if it is sufficient to decompose the isotopic gas. If the heat were to be sufficient to ignite or decompose the gas, the effect is a gradual increase of decomposition products in the process system instead of a flame propagation effect. 7-4
() When a centrifuge fails, significant heating occurs as the machine's mechanical energy dissipates. The energy added to this event by the combustion or decomposition of the machine's gas inventory would be insignificant. Certain compounds can act as oxidizers and combust with metals at high temperatures. This phenomena is often associated with high speed machinery experiencing bearing failure. It is very doubtful l that this can occur in a gas centrifuge, but in any such i postulated scenario, the energy added by the machine inventory { I would be insignificant. 7.5 EXPLOSION, HIGH SPEED, OR HIGH PRESSURE HAZARDS I No explosion, high speed, or high pressure hazards are expected to ! exist within the new AlchemIE facility. The use of subatmospheric feed and withdrawal equipment will lessen the risk normally associated with pressurized UF6 containment. High speed rotation of the centrifuge rotor is contained within the centrifuge casing. Upset conditions within { 1 the machine will result in the destruction of centrifuge internals, but breach of the containment is not expected to occur. This is primarily due to the current design of the centrifuge which includes adequate protection from containment failures of () this type. 7.6 NATURAL PHENOMENA HAZARDS In the design of the GCEP facility, seismic and other natural phenomena hazards were considered. Both structural components, piping, and the machine were designed with a margin of safety to guard against the risk associated with these hazards. With adequate design criteria for seismic and other natural phenomena, l hazards applied to the items of new construction, the AlChemIE l facility is expected to meet the necessary safeguards. The I compounds themselves, or process equipment, are not expected to add to the risk of the occurrence of these phenomena.
7.7 REFERENCES
(Dunning, 1979) Dunning, D. E., Jr., et al., " Estimates of Internal Dose Equivalents to 22 Target Organs for Radionuclides occurring in Routine Releases from Nuclear Fuel Cycle Facilities", Washington: U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, NUREG/CR0150, Vol. 2, October 1979. (Paxton, 1986) Paxton'255.gggN.L. Prgggst, " Critical Dimensions U, 1986 Revision," LA-of Systems Containing U, Pu, and 10860-MS, Los Alamos, N.M.: Los Alamos National Laboratory, July 1987. 7-5 l
[') v 8.0 CONDUCT OF OPERATIONS The organizational structure, training programs, and ) decommissioning activities are discussed in this section. ] 8.1 ORGANIZATION STRUCTURE The organization chart for AlchemIE is shown in Figure 8-1. , Responsibility for operations fall under the Director of { Production and Start-Up. Four rotating shifts will provide 24- l hour coverage in addition to the day shift. Day shift will consist of a team of supervisors, support personnel, engineers, , and maintenance personnel as needed to support the facility operations. l 8.2 TRAINING PROGRAM j 1 The training program for operating personnel will cover the specific technologies, systems, operating and maintenance procedures, and work practices with emphasis on safety to personnel and equipment, quality assurance, and work disciplines. Work disciplines include meticulously following directions; following procedures; performing all required inspections and checks; keeping understandable, complete records; informing the /~s team members of any unusual event or potential undesirable event; (-) being alert to and responding properly to alarms; and maintaining security of classified information. The training course items will include: General description of the process Vocabulary Units and conversion factors - Materials Process gases physical and chemical properties and toxicity ! Vacuum technology, practices, leak testing Data logging and log book entries Reading instruments, video monitors, alarms Responses to alarms and unusual events Centrifuge design and operations centrifuge assembly and disassembly Centrifuge balancing l Centrifuge transport and installation, operation of cranes j Testing of centrifuges, mechanical and separation ! Component parts disassembly, repair, and reassembly I I (1) i 8-1 i
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() Component cleaning Safety including job safety analysis Quality assurance Potential problem analysis Feed and withdrawal system operation Operation of cascade Security and classification requirements and procedures Hands-on operation of the various-subsystems: vacuum system, feed system, purge system, withdrawal system, cascade, machine assembly and disassembly, balancing, and inspection and repair of components. O 4 l O 8-3 l
(} 9.0 QUALITY ASSURANCE Quality Assurance (QA) consists of all planned actions which are necessary to provide confidence that a system or component will perform competently and safely-when in service. The purpose of implementing a successful quality assurance program is to assure that all phases of a project--research, design, development, construction, testing, operation, and maintenance--are carried out according to sound engineering standards, good quality practices, and adequate technical specifications. A quality assurance program will be initiated for the AlChemIE facility. The goal of this quality assurance program is to identify those actions necessary to adequately control the process and to verify that the material and the process meet the specified requirements. This verification process is performed through inspection, surveillance, and checkout. The facility is to be designed, constructed, installed, and operated according to sound engineering principles; the equipment is to be operated and maintained in a manner that is not detrimental to the health and safety of the employees or the
. general public; and the operations should not pose a threat to the environment.
l I 4 9-1 ;
- APPENDIX A Department of Energy o Oe - - aw-P. O. Box E Ook Ridge. Temessee 37831 -
October 7,1987 E0-87-238 Mr. William A. Pfeifer Director of Special Projects A1ChemIE, Inc. Pine Ridge Office Park Suite 202-B 702 S. Illinois Avenue Oak Ridge, TN 37830 Dear Mr. Pfeifer The enclosure is a preliminary report which should provide the infomation requested by your letter dated August 20, 1987. Please contact Mr. John S. Phillips of ry staff at 575-7716 if further infomation is desired. Sincerely,
" e D h)g W. Parks, D' rector E0-22:Phillips Enriching Operations Division Enclosure ...
O' . A-1 _ _ _j
O-May 28, 1987 833-87-22 S. K. Battle Diseenal Af,fLGE,centrifusa Dae $taminatten Seluffens . Three contaminated SCEP centrifuges were disasse'mbled and decontaminated using equipment in'the CTTF and the R/A casing wash. The three centrifuges selected were all from train 4. cascade 6: B-80834 from the tails stage, 6-88852 from the feed stage, and R-09114 from the product stage. A report will be published documenting t,he findings of the test. The solution generated during decontamination of the parts from thess'
. centrifuges was transferred to the GDP using one of the 750 gallon capacity, skid-mounted, Environmental Control tanks. Three tanks or partial tanks of solution wert generated and transferred during the test.
O The solution was disposed by discharging from the Environmental Control tank to a drain at X-795, which discharged directly to the X-7818 holding pond. The first tank transferred contained 450 gallons of solution consisting of water with less than 3.4 I (by weightI citric acid. The uranium a concentration was 50 ppm for a total of 87 grams of uranium at a U-235 assay of 1.8 % for 8.87 grams of U-235. The second tank transferred contained 758 gallons of solution consisting of water with less than 0.01 (by weght.) citric acid. The uranium
, concentration was 38 ppm for a total of les grams of uranium at a U-235 assay of 0.73'% for 9.79 Grams of U-235.
The third tank transferred contained 529 gallons of solution consisting of water with citric acid at a pH of 3. The uranium concentration was 26 ppn for a total of 51 Grams of uranium at a U-235 assay less than 2.8% (detection limit corresponding to the amount of uranium) for 1.01 9"sms of U-235. Any questions should be directed to M. S. Placanik at extension 6419. s1 L06 O si - naw%A Mark S. Pleconik - n _ n psw t ECEP Engineering. X-3812, MS-7500. Portsmouth. (E419) p*] N A-2
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