The Development, Content, Design, and Conduct of the 2011 Piloted US DOE Nuclear Criticality Safety Program Criticality Safety Engineering Training and Education Project

The Development, Content, Design, and Conduct of the 2011 Piloted US DOE Nuclear Criticality Safety Program Criticality Safety Engineering Training and Education Project PDF Author:
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Languages : en
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In May 1973 the University of New Mexico conducted the first nationwide criticality safety training and education week-long short course for nuclear criticality safety engineers. Subsequent to that course, the Los Alamos Critical Experiments Facility (LACEF) developed very successful 'hands-on' subcritical and critical training programs for operators, supervisors, and engineering staff. Since the inception of the US Department of Energy (DOE) Nuclear Criticality Technology and Safety Project (NCT & SP) in 1983, the DOE has stimulated contractor facilities and laboratories to collaborate in the furthering of nuclear criticality as a discipline. That effort included the education and training of nuclear criticality safety engineers (NCSEs). In 1985 a textbook was written that established a path toward formalizing education and training for NCSEs. Though the NCT & SP went through a brief hiatus from 1990 to 1992, other DOE-supported programs were evolving to the benefit of NCSE training and education. In 1993 the DOE established a Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP) and undertook a comprehensive development effort to expand the extant LACEF 'hands-on' course specifically for the education and training of NCSEs. That successful education and training was interrupted in 2006 for the closing of the LACEF and the accompanying movement of materials and critical experiment machines to the Nevada Test Site. Prior to that closing, the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) was commissioned by the US DOE NCSP to establish an independent hands-on NCSE subcritical education and training course. The course provided an interim transition for the establishment of a reinvigorated and expanded two-week NCSE education and training program in 2011. The 2011 piloted two-week course was coordinated by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and jointly conducted by the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) classroom education and facility training, the Sandia National Laboratory (SNL) hands-on criticality experiments training, and the US DOE National Criticality Experiment Research Center (NCERC) hands-on criticality experiments training that is jointly supported by LLNL and LANL and located at the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS) This paper provides the description of the bases, content, and conduct of the piloted, and future US DOE NCSP Criticality Safety Engineer Training and Education Project.

The Development, Content, Design, and Conduct of the 2011 Piloted US DOE Nuclear Criticality Safety Program Criticality Safety Engineering Training and Education Project

The Development, Content, Design, and Conduct of the 2011 Piloted US DOE Nuclear Criticality Safety Program Criticality Safety Engineering Training and Education Project PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :

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Book Description
In May 1973 the University of New Mexico conducted the first nationwide criticality safety training and education week-long short course for nuclear criticality safety engineers. Subsequent to that course, the Los Alamos Critical Experiments Facility (LACEF) developed very successful 'hands-on' subcritical and critical training programs for operators, supervisors, and engineering staff. Since the inception of the US Department of Energy (DOE) Nuclear Criticality Technology and Safety Project (NCT & SP) in 1983, the DOE has stimulated contractor facilities and laboratories to collaborate in the furthering of nuclear criticality as a discipline. That effort included the education and training of nuclear criticality safety engineers (NCSEs). In 1985 a textbook was written that established a path toward formalizing education and training for NCSEs. Though the NCT & SP went through a brief hiatus from 1990 to 1992, other DOE-supported programs were evolving to the benefit of NCSE training and education. In 1993 the DOE established a Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP) and undertook a comprehensive development effort to expand the extant LACEF 'hands-on' course specifically for the education and training of NCSEs. That successful education and training was interrupted in 2006 for the closing of the LACEF and the accompanying movement of materials and critical experiment machines to the Nevada Test Site. Prior to that closing, the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) was commissioned by the US DOE NCSP to establish an independent hands-on NCSE subcritical education and training course. The course provided an interim transition for the establishment of a reinvigorated and expanded two-week NCSE education and training program in 2011. The 2011 piloted two-week course was coordinated by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and jointly conducted by the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) classroom education and facility training, the Sandia National Laboratory (SNL) hands-on criticality experiments training, and the US DOE National Criticality Experiment Research Center (NCERC) hands-on criticality experiments training that is jointly supported by LLNL and LANL and located at the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS) This paper provides the description of the bases, content, and conduct of the piloted, and future US DOE NCSP Criticality Safety Engineer Training and Education Project.

Use of a Web Site to Enhance Criticality Safety Training

Use of a Web Site to Enhance Criticality Safety Training PDF Author: S. T. Huang
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Languages : en
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Currently, a website dedicated to enhancing communication and dissemination of criticality safety information is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP). This website was developed as part of the DOE response to the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (DNFSB) Recommendation 97-2, which reflected the need to make criticality safety information available to a wide audience. The website is the focal point for DOE nuclear criticality safety (NCS) activities, resources and references, including hyperlinks to other sites actively involved in the collection and dissemination of criticality safety information. The website is maintained by the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) under auspices of the NCSP management. One area of the website contains a series of Nuclear Criticality Safety Engineer Training (NCSET) modules. During the past few years, many users worldwide have accessed the NCSET section of the NCSP website and have downloaded the training modules as an aid for their training programs. This trend was remarkable in that it points out a continuing need of the criticality safety community across the globe. It has long been recognized that training of criticality safety professionals is a continuing process involving both knowledge-based training and experience-based operations floor training. As more of the experienced criticality safety professionals reach retirement age, the opportunities for mentoring programs are reduced. It is essential that some method be provided to assist the training of young criticality safety professionals to replenish this limited human expert resource to support on-going and future nuclear operations. The main objective of this paper is to present the features of the NCSP website, including its mission, contents, and most importantly its use for the dissemination of training modules to the criticality safety community. We will discuss lessons learned and several ideas for future development in the area of web-based training for criticality safety professionals. Our effort is intended to stimulate a discussion of ideas and solicit participation in the development of the next generation of a web-based criticality training site that can be used to assist the training of newcomers to this important safety discipline.

Development of the DOE Nuclear Criticality Safety Program Web Site for the Nuclear Criticality Safety Professional

Development of the DOE Nuclear Criticality Safety Program Web Site for the Nuclear Criticality Safety Professional PDF Author:
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Languages : en
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Development of the DOE Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP) web site is the result of the efforts of marry members of the Nuclear Criticality Safety (NCS) community and is maintained by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory under the direction of the NCSP Management Team. This World Wide Web (WWW) resource was developed as part of the DOE response to the DNFSB Recommendation 97-2, which reflected the need to make criticality safety information available to a wide audience. The NCSP web site provides information of interest to NCS professionals and includes links to other sites actively involved in the collection and dissemination of criticality safety information. To the extent possible, the hyperlinks on this web site direct the user to the original source of the referenced material in order to ensure access to the latest, most accurate version.

Integration of Several Elements of the DOE Nuclear Criticality Safety Program

Integration of Several Elements of the DOE Nuclear Criticality Safety Program PDF Author:
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Languages : en
Pages : 5

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The U.S. Department of Energy established the Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP) to maintain the infrastructure and expertise in nuclear criticality safety to support line criticality safety programs at various DOE sites. The seven tasks of the NCSP include critical experiments, benchmarking, nuclear data, analytical methods, applicable ranges of bounding curves and data, information preservation and dissemination, and training and qualification. The goals of this program are to improve the knowledge, tools, data, guidance, and information available to the nuclear criticality safety community. In addition various elements of the NCSP are integrated together to provide the nuclear criticality safety community with the most precise nuclear data for criticality safety analyses. This paper describes how several elements of the NCSP were integrated together in the evaluation of the silicon nuclear data. Silicon is frequently encountered in decontamination and decommissioning efforts, process sludge and settling tanks, in situ vitrification, and waste remediation efforts (including waste storage, retrieval, characterization, volume reduction, and stabilization). Silicon was also identified as an important isotope for addressing concerns associated with the storage of spent nuclear fuels in a geologic repository. The inadequacy of the silicon nuclear data in the intermediate energy region mandated that additional neutron capture cross-section measurements had to be performed that encompassed the resolved resonance region. An evaluation was performed that included analysis of the most recent neutron capture and existing transmission cross-section measurements performed at the Oak Ridge Electron Linear Accelerator. Critical experiments were performed at the Institute of Physics and Power Engineering in Obninsk, Russia because of the lack of critical experiment data for analysis of storage of nuclear material in a geologic repository. These critical experiments were evaluated and benchmark models were developed and submitted to the International Criticality Safety Benchmark Evaluation Project for review and publication in the ''International Handbook of Evaluated Criticality Safety Benchmark Experiments''. Sensitivity analyses were performed as a part of the benchmark evaluation to determine the sensitivity of the critical experiments to the various constituents of the assembly. The benchmark models were then used to determine the computed k{sub eff} for various cross section data sets. The variation in the computed k{sub eff} value for the new evaluated data set was then used as an indicator to adjust the negative energy capture widths for the capture cross section data. Furthermore, the changes in k{sub eff} were used as an indicator to the inadequacy of previous measured data in the unresolved resonance region. The result of the efforts of the NCSP provided the most precise set of nuclear data for silicon. The resulting ORNL evaluation produced the most consistent evaluation for silicon. This result could only be achieved through integration of many components of the NCSP.

2011 Annual Criticality Safety Program Performance Summary

2011 Annual Criticality Safety Program Performance Summary PDF Author:
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Languages : en
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The 2011 review of the INL Criticality Safety Program has determined that the program is robust and effective. The review was prepared for, and fulfills Contract Data Requirements List (CDRL) item H.20, 'Annual Criticality Safety Program performance summary that includes the status of assessments, issues, corrective actions, infractions, requirements management, training, and programmatic support.' This performance summary addresses the status of these important elements of the INL Criticality Safety Program. Assessments - Assessments in 2011 were planned and scheduled. The scheduled assessments included a Criticality Safety Program Effectiveness Review, Criticality Control Area Inspections, a Protection of Controlled Unclassified Information Inspection, an Assessment of Criticality Safety SQA, and this management assessment of the Criticality Safety Program. All of the assessments were completed with the exception of the 'Effectiveness Review' for SSPSF, which was delayed due to emerging work. Although minor issues were identified in the assessments, no issues or combination of issues indicated that the INL Criticality Safety Program was ineffective. The identification of issues demonstrates the importance of an assessment program to the overall health and effectiveness of the INL Criticality Safety Program. Issues and Corrective Actions - There are relatively few criticality safety related issues in the Laboratory ICAMS system. Most were identified by Criticality Safety Program assessments. No issues indicate ineffectiveness in the INL Criticality Safety Program. All of the issues are being worked and there are no imminent criticality concerns. Infractions - There was one criticality safety related violation in 2011. On January 18, 2011, it was discovered that a fuel plate bundle in the Nuclear Materials Inspection and Storage (NMIS) facility exceeded the fissionable mass limit, resulting in a technical safety requirement (TSR) violation. The TSR limits fuel plate bundles to 1085 grams U-235, which is the maximum loading of an ATR fuel element. The overloaded fuel plate bundle contained 1097 grams U-235 and was assembled under an 1100 gram U-235 limit in 1982. In 2003, the limit was reduced to 1085 grams citing a new criticality safety evaluation for ATR fuel elements. The fuel plate bundle inventories were not checked for compliance prior to implementing the reduced limit. A subsequent review of the NMIS inventory did not identify further violations. Requirements Management - The INL Criticality Safety program is organized and well documented. The source requirements for the INL Criticality Safety Program are from 10 CFR 830.204, DOE Order 420.1B, Chapter III, 'Nuclear Criticality Safety, ' ANSI/ANS 8-series Industry Standards, and DOE Standards. These source requirements are documented in LRD-18001, 'INL Criticality Safety Program Requirements Manual.' The majority of the criticality safety source requirements are contained in DOE Order 420.1B because it invokes all of the ANSI/ANS 8-Series Standards. DOE Order 420.1B also invokes several DOE Standards, including DOE-STD-3007, 'Guidelines for Preparing Criticality Safety Evaluations at Department of Energy Non-Reactor Nuclear Facilities.' DOE Order 420.1B contains requirements for DOE 'Heads of Field Elements' to approve the criticality safety program and specific elements of the program, namely, the qualification of criticality staff and the method for preparing criticality safety evaluations. This was accomplished by the approval of SAR-400, 'INL Standardized Nuclear Safety Basis Manual, ' Chapter 6, 'Prevention of Inadvertent Criticality.' Chapter 6 of SAR-400 contains sufficient detail and/or reference to the specific DOE and contractor documents that adequately describe the INL Criticality Safety Program per the elements specified in DOE Order 420.1B. The Safety Evaluation Report for SAR-400 specifically recognizes that the approval of SAR-400 approves the INL Critic ...

Educating Next Generation Nuclear Criticality Safety Engineers at the Idaho National Laboratory

Educating Next Generation Nuclear Criticality Safety Engineers at the Idaho National Laboratory PDF Author:
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Languages : en
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One of the challenges in educating our next generation of nuclear safety engineers is the limitation of opportunities to receive significant experience or hands-on training prior to graduation. Such training is generally restricted to on-the-job-training before this new engineering workforce can adequately provide assessment of nuclear systems and establish safety guidelines. Participation in the International Criticality Safety Benchmark Evaluation Project (ICSBEP) and the International Reactor Physics Experiment Evaluation Project (IRPhEP) can provide students and young professionals the opportunity to gain experience and enhance critical engineering skills. The ICSBEP and IRPhEP publish annual handbooks that contain evaluations of experiments along with summarized experimental data and peer-reviewed benchmark specifications to support the validation of neutronics codes, nuclear cross-section data, and the validation of reactor designs. Participation in the benchmark process not only benefits those who use these Handbooks within the international community, but provides the individual with opportunities for professional development, networking with an international community of experts, and valuable experience to be used in future employment. Traditionally students have participated in benchmarking activities via internships at national laboratories, universities, or companies involved with the ICSBEP and IRPhEP programs. Additional programs have been developed to facilitate the nuclear education of students while participating in the benchmark projects. These programs include coordination with the Center for Space Nuclear Research (CSNR) Next Degree Program, the Collaboration with the Department of Energy Idaho Operations Office to train nuclear and criticality safety engineers, and student evaluations as the basis for their Master's thesis in nuclear engineering.

Current Status of the DOE Nuclear Criticality Safety Program Hands-On Criticality Safety Training Course at Sandia

Current Status of the DOE Nuclear Criticality Safety Program Hands-On Criticality Safety Training Course at Sandia PDF Author:
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Languages : en
Pages : 8

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Program for Documenting the Criticality Safety Basis for Operations in a Research and Development Facility Consistent with New Regulatory Requirements

Program for Documenting the Criticality Safety Basis for Operations in a Research and Development Facility Consistent with New Regulatory Requirements PDF Author:
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Languages : en
Pages : 9

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A program was developed and implemented at LLNL to provide more detailed, documented Criticality Safety Evaluations of operations in an R & D facility. The new Criticality Safety evaluations were consistent with regulatory requirements of the then new DOE Order 5480.24, Nuclear Criticality Safety. The evaluations provide a criticality safety basis for each operation in the facility in support of the facility Safety Analysis Report. This implementation program provided a transition from one method of conducting and documenting Criticality Safety Evaluations to a new method consistent with new regulatory requirements. The program also allowed continued safe operation of the facility while the new implementation level Criticality Safety Evaluations were developed.

US DOE Nuclear Criticality Safety Engineer Hands-On Subcritical and Critical Experiments Training and Education Course

US DOE Nuclear Criticality Safety Engineer Hands-On Subcritical and Critical Experiments Training and Education Course PDF Author:
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Languages : en
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The Department of Energy Nuclear Criticality Safety Program

The Department of Energy Nuclear Criticality Safety Program PDF Author:
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Languages : en
Pages : 8

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This paper broadly covers key events and activities from which the Department of Energy Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP) evolved. The NCSP maintains fundamental infrastructure that supports operational criticality safety programs. This infrastructure includes continued development and maintenance of key calculational tools, differential and integral data measurements, benchmark compilation, development of training resources, hands-on training, and web-based systems to enhance information preservation and dissemination. The NCSP was initiated in response to Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board Recommendation 97-2, Criticality Safety, and evolved from a predecessor program, the Nuclear Criticality Predictability Program, that was initiated in response to Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board Recommendation 93-2, The Need for Critical Experiment Capability. This paper also discusses the role Dr. Sol Pearlstein played in helping the Department of Energy lay the foundation for a robust and enduring criticality safety infrastructure.