Unreviewed Safety Question Determination for TOPAZ II uranium fuel pellet production at the Plutonium Handling Facility (PF-4), Technical Area 55, Los Alamos National Laboratory

摘要

Enriched uranium oxide, nitride, and carbide fuel pellets have been produced at PF-4 since the facility became operational in the late 1970s. The TOPAZ II reactors require fuel enriched to 97% uranium-235. Approximately 75 kilograms (kgs) of uranium will be processed per year in support of this program. The amount of fuel processed per year at PF-4 will not be increased for these programs, but the batch size will be increased to approximately 3 kgs of uranium. The current DOE-approved Final Safety Analysis Report (FSAR) calls for batches containing 45 grams (gms) of plutonium-239 and 172 gms of uranium-235. The impact of increasing the uranium batch size on the facility authorization basis is analyzed in the attached Safety Evaluation Worksheet. In addition, the structural modification for the transformer and vacuum pump installation, required to support the operation, is evaluated. Based on the attached Safety Evaluation, it has been determined that the change in uranium batch size does not constitute an Unreviewed Safety Question (USQ), the increase in uranium batch size does not increase the probability or consequences of any accidents previously analyzed and does not create the possibility for a new type of accident or reduce the margin of safety in the Operational Safety Requirements (OSRs). Similarly, the structural modifications required for the transformer and vacuum pump installation do not increase the probability or consequence of any accident previously analyzed and do not create the possibility for a new type of accident or reduce any margin of safety in the OSRS.