Solutions - h3010v10234

DOE-HDBK-3010-94

6.0 Inadvertent Nuclear Criticality; Summary

Solutions

Solutions refers to fissile materials dissolved in a liquid solvent, typically aqueous acid

solutions. The release of volatile radionuclides generated by the criticality is evaluated

separately from the release of nonvolatiles and fissile material originally present in the

solution. The criticality is generically considered terminated by the evaporation of 100 liters

of water, or some lesser amount if less than 100 liters are present.

Airborne Source Term = (MARc1 x DRc1 x ARFc1) + (MARs1 x DRs1 x ARFs1)

(6-1)

where:

MARc1 =

inventory of gas and volatile (i.e., iodine)

radionuclides generated from criticality in a

solution calculated by computer code such as

ORIGEN2 based on 1E+19 total fissions; or,

[1E+19 fissions/1E+19 fissions] X table.1

DRc1 =

damage ratio for gases and volatiles (i.e., iodine)

generated in criticality, 1.0.

ARFc1 =

Airborne Release Fractions for solution

criticality in NRC Reg Guides2: 1E+0 for noble

gases,

2.5E-1 for radioiodines.

MARs1 =

inventory non-volatile fission products generated

and radionuclides in solution prior to the nuclear

excursion evaporated, curies.

DRs1 =

Damage Ratio radionuclides in solution, 1.0.

ARFs1 =

Airborne Release Fractions for solution from

NRC Reg Guides2: 5E-4 for non-volatiles in 100

liters of solution, 1E-3 for radioruthenium in fuel

reprocessing solutions.

Tables from Reg. Guide 3.33 (Spent Commercial Nuclear Fuel solution), 3.34 (uranium) & 3.35 (plutonium)

"Radioactivity of Important Nuclides Released From the Criticality Accident ..." reproduced in this document

(Tables 6-7, 6-8, and 6-9).

ARF (Airborne Release Fraction) for:

fission product noble gases = 1.0

radioiodines that can be generated as vapors by accident conditions = 0.25

radioruthenium present in fuel reprocessing solutions = 1E-3

salts (i.e., non-volatile fission products and base solution) in liquid evaporated (assume material in 100 liters

for large volume solution excursion or total amount of material for solutions with less than 100 liters) =

5E-4

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