New fuel handling

A view of the general arrangement of the fuel-handling system is shown in Fig. 5.6. New fuel assemblies arrive at the plant in shielded and cushioned containers. They are unloaded and inspected in a shielded new fuel-handling facility located in the reactor service building (RSB). Upon acceptance of a core component, it is stored in a subcritical array in a storage facility located in the floor of the new fuelhandling facility. 

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). 

When the hoist load weighing system detects a load greater than the spent fuel assembly handling tool, the machine cannot traverse unless the hoist is at the up limit. For new fuel handling, the load is greater than a new fuel handling tool. 

NASA is also considering a more advanced aircraft such as Mach 5 to cut Pacific travel time to about three hours, but in this case kerosene fuel is no longer acceptable, and Hquefted natural gas or Hquefted hydrogen would be needed to provide the necessary cooling and stabiUty. However, a completely new fueling system would be required at every international airport to handle these cryogenic fluids. 

The gas turbine is a complex system. A typical control system with hierarchic levels of automation is shown in Figure 19-3. The control system at the plant level consists of a D-CS system, which in many new installations is connected to a condition monitoring system and an optimization system. The D-CS system is what is considered to be a plant level system and is connected to the three machine level systems. It can, in some cases, also be connected to functional level systems such as lubrication systems and fuel handling systems. In those cases, it would give a signal of readiness from those systems to the machine level systems. The condition monitoring system... 

The next step of demonstration and pioneer plants from the standpoint of the utility industry is appropriate to provide 50-100,000 barrel quantities of these new fuels to complete the definition by the utility industry to transport, store, handle and utilize in electric generating equipment to generate power. 

A third group of companies in the alcohol fuels segment of the biomass industry are architect/engineering firms, fuel distributors, and oil companies. These companies are attempting to build upon their expertise in construction, fuel handling and retailing to develop new markets for their products. In most cases, gasohol distributors are independent wholesalers and retailers. 

A new flow distribution measures have been selected in preliminary design, in which the fixed-number orifices are only on the subassembly foot. As its penalty different subassembly foot is needed for 4 zones of core It s impossible to change subassemblies between diffenent zones, a proper mechanical approach to be used to surely exclude wrong loading m[Pg.15]

Approximately once a year the reactor Is shut down for refuelling. At that time, the reactor vessel head Is removed and one third of the fuel assemblies are removed underwater and taken from the containment, still underwater to a water filled storage pond In the adjacent fuel handling building. The fuel remains In this building until Its radioactivity and temperature have decayed to a level at which It can be transported off site. The remaining fuel assemblies are re-arranged within the core and new fuel assemblies are Inserted. 

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. 

Use of natural uranium fuel allows the storage and handling of new fuel with minimal criticality concerns because the fuel bundles require heavy water to become critical. 

The Environment. Both air and water pollution are affected by chemicals that are the result of manufacturing, handling, and disposing of materials such as solvents, insecticides, herbicides, and fertilizers. Chemical engineering has reduced factory emissions through the development of water-based coatings. In addition, new methods of converting solid wastes into usable fuels will help the environment and provide new fuel sources. 

The plant layout of a LSPR plant is shown in Figures XXV-19 and XXV-20. The conventional fuel handling system is not available for a long life core. However, maintenance handling machines and maintenance spaces are accommodated and the pullout space necessary for mechanical pump impellers and purifying units is provided. When the reactor vessel lifetime expires, the current assumption is to comply with the need to exchange the reactor vessel with a new one. 

The criteria for new fuel storage should be stated. Any special measures to prevent criticality in new fuel during handling or storage should also be stated. When required, fuel enrichment should also be verified before insertion into the core. 

The main equipment handling devices within containment are the polar erane, equipment hateh hoist and maintenanee hatch hoist. Fuel is moved between the reactor vessel and the fuel transfer system by the refuelling machine. Outside containment the fuel is moved using the fuel handling machine, the casks by the cask handling crane, new fuel by the new fuel elevator and operations in the railcar by its dedicated gantry crane. 

It should be noted that the PRA does not currently include an evaluation of the radiological risk during new and spent fuel handling. 

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