Assessment of Radioactive Material Released from a Fuel Fabrication Plant under Accidental Conditions. Final Report

摘要

This report evaluates the amounts of fissile material released both inside and outside a mixed oxide fuel fabrication plant (MOFFP) for light water reactors. The first section begins with a descriptive study of fissile material containment systems, and the methods available for quantifying accident occurrence probabilities. In addition to accidents common to all industrial facilities, other much rarer accidents were considered, such as aircraft crashes. The minimum occurrence probability limit for consideration in this study was set at 10 exp -6 per annum. The second part of this report attempts to assess the consequences of the accidents considered (i.e. with occurrence probabilities exceeding 10 exp -6 per annum) by determining maximum values for such accidents. Acts of sabotage and other accidents of this type are beyond the scope of this study and were not taken into consideration. The most serious potential accident would be a fire involving all of the glove boxes in the PuO sub 2 powder calcination and preparation cell, which could release 76.5 mg of PuO sub 2 powder into the atmosphere; the occurrence probability of such an accident, however, is slight (less than 10 exp -5 per annum). The second possibility, is a specially nuclear hazard that would release fission products into the atmosphere. The occurrence probability of such an accident is currently evaluated at 10 exp -3 per annum. (Atomindex citation 13:671546)