Proposal for management of facility capability project -- Safety of Hanford production reactors utilizing highly enriched fuel

摘要

At a time of diminishing demand for weapons-grade plutonium, it is important that the Commission have a clear understanding of the capability of their facilities for the production of other products. The Hanford reactors have demonstrated a capability to divert about 20% of their neutrons away from plutonium and into other products, and an ambitious program is under way (High Power Density Fuel Program) to increase this to roughly 50% during the next few years. But it is generally considered that operation of the hanford reactors with highly enriched fuel is unsafe, and that long term plans must be based on a premise that a substantial fraction of the output of a Hanford reactor must be plutonium. Future utilization of production facilities in an effective manner requires that this premise be re-examined. It is proposed therein that careful and thorough analysis be made of the conditions under which Hanford reactors could be operated with highly enriched fuel with as high a degree of safety as prevails at present.