Criticality safety evaluation for dry vacuum system components

摘要

A dry vacuum system is used at the Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant to collect dust that may include highly enriched (93.5% weight percent (sup 235)U) uranium oxides. Because it contains unfavorable geometry filtering components, criticality safety for the system depends upon controls on mass and moderation. This evaluation assumed that both of these controls were lost. The components which were studied were two bag filter separators and associated filter housings, and two sizes of cyclone separators. KENO-IV generalized geometry and sixteen group Hansen-Roach cross sections were used to model the system.