Fuel handling area

Fuel Handling Area 11. Reactor Coolant Pumps (4) 21. High Pressure Feedwater Heaters... 

In addition to the physical and procedural safeguards In the handling of enriched uranium, a system of radiation detectors and alarms Is to be provided in stsrateglc points In the Irradlated-fuel handling areas. These detectors will only be able to signal a criticality situation after the fact. 

The containment air filtration system (VFS) serves the containment, the fuel handling area and the other radiologically controlled areas of the auxiliary and annex buildings, except for the hot machine shop and health physics areas which are served by a separate ventilation system. 

The radiologically controlled area ventilation system (VAS) serves the fuel handling area of the Auxiliary Building, and the radiologically controlled portions of the Auxiliary and Aimex Buildings, except for the health physics and hot machine shop areas which are provided with a separate ventilation system (VHS). 

Fuel handling area exhaust radiation monitor. The monitor initiates an alarm in the main control room, closure of the fuel handling area supply and exhaust isolation dampers, opening the area exhaust air isolation damper to the containment air filtration exhaust units and to start a containment air filtration exhaust unit. 

Auxiliary building exhaust radiation monitor. This monitor provides the same function as the fuel handling area exhaust radiation monitor. 

Area radiation monitors are provided to supplement the persoimel and area radiation survey of the radiation protection program as described in Section 11.5 of the EDCD (Reference 12.1). During refuelling operations in containment and fuel handling area, criticality monitoring functions are performed by the area radiation monitors. A local readout, audible and visual alarms are provided internal to each area to be monitored. Visual alarms are provided outside each monitored area. Indication and alarm are also provided in the main control room. 

Spent fuel handling areas (i.e. fuelling machines, the dry fuel store, the fuel dismantling cell, the fuel storage pond and the loading bay for fuel transport flasks) ... 

Coatings in Class 2 areas are subjected to a variety of conditions which include abrasion and impact from fuel handling and other traffic operations, radioactive exposure, chemical attack and demineralized water immersion. Since personnel regularly service Class 2 areas, the coating systems must resist these conditions and be easily decontaminated to safe levels. 

Appropriate systems shall be provided in fuel storage areas, radioactive waste systems and associated handling areas ... 

Since dedicated areas are needed to allow effective decontamination of equipment and personnel and to minimize the spread of contamination to adjacent areas during equipment handling operations, decontamination areas with sinks, workbench space, storage for hot tools and equipment, and decontamination suppi ies should be provided. Typical buildings to be furnished include primary containment, fuel handling and storage, health physics, contaminated shops, and plant radwaste facilities. 

The head access area (above the roof slab) and operation floor for fuel handling operations are prohibited for entry in normal operation because of the high radiation dose rate. The other areas can be entered by the use of proper shielding. 

The new fuel handling crane is provided with mechanical stops and electrical interlocks to restrict its motion between the new fuel shipping container receipt area, the new fuel inspection and storage areas, and the new fuel elevator (See CESSAR-DC, Section 9.1.4). 

During the semi-annual physical inventory conducted by S S, a detailed hands-on inventory and NDA verification program necessitates extensive fuel handling. This additional handling in unshielded areas increases the criticality risk for the plant but also provides assurance that fuel is being prop-eriy controlled. The S S and CS interface maintains this delicate balance. 

Spent fuel is handled underwater from the time it leaves the reactor vessel until it is placed in a cask for shipment from the site, or placed in dry storage. The water provides an effective, economical, and transparent radiation shield as well as a reliable medium for decay heat removal. Boric acid is added to the water to ensure subcritical conditions during refueling. The fuel handling facilities are generally divided into two areas ... 

These two areas are connected by the fuel transfer tube through which an underwater conveyor or fuel transfer system carries the new fuel into the reactor containment and spent fuel into the fuel handling building. 

The minimum distance from fhe spent fuel handling and storage facility to the controlled area boundary must be at least 100 m. The controlled area is the immediately surrounding area for which the licensee, that is, nuclear power plant, exercises authority. 

The overall plant arrangement is shown in Fig. 1-18. The MASLWR plant consists of a power generation complex and common facilities. The power generation complex for the baseline plant consists of 30 power generation units (30 reactors and associated turbine generators), (and the reactor assembly, disassembly, and fuel handling equipment if onsite refuelling is desired). The plant area is about 390 m (1280 ft) by 350 m (1160 ft) or about 14 ha (34 acres). The plant net total output is 1050 MW(e). 

During construction, the overhead crane will travel the entire rail without any provisions for restrictions however, provisions will be installed permanently once fuel assemblies are onsite to restrict movement of the crane over the spent fuel pool area safe heavy load handling. 

On the spent fuel pool side, the fuel transfer system is interlocked with the fuel handling machine. The fuel transfer system cannot be operated until the loaded fuel handling machine hoist is at the up limit, the empty tool is clear of the up-ender, or the fuel handling machine is moved away from the fuel transfer system area. An interlock is provided from the fuel handling machine to the fuel transfer system to accomplish this. 

The eonversion of the fuel handling building into an interim waste storage, decontamination, waste reduction, packaging, and processing area for ILW level waste ... 

The coatings of fuel storage ponds and fuel handling ponds, as well as the equipment used in these areas, will become contaminated. When the water level in such ponds is lowered, surfaces may dry out, and this may cause a hazard due to airborne radioactive material. Systems should be provided for decontaminating such surfaces before they dry out. Systems should also be provided for decontaminating, before they dry out, fuel transport flasks and components that may have to be removed from the ponds for repair. 

Physical protection arrangements which permit access only to authorized personnel shall be provided in order to deter and detect unauthorized access to storage structures or to areas where irradiated fuel is handled or stored. The design of spent fuel storage facilities shall include measures or systems to detect and deter any unauthorized diversion of nuclear materials from spent fuel handling and storage areas. 

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