Status of the TRIGA Fuel Fabrication Facility

Presented at the 2015 TRTR

Boston, Massachusetts

8 October 2015

Anthony Veca, Amory Quinn, General Atomics Inc.

Ghislain Boisrame, Dominique Geslin, AREVA

Status of the TRIGA Fuel Fabrication Facility

• Training, Research, Isotopes,

General Atomics (TRIGA)

• First reactor critical May 3, 1958 in San Diego, California

• 66 TRIGA facilities have

been constructed to date >1100 reactor years and 50,000 pulses

• Steady-state operating power

levels to 14 MW(t)*

• Pulsing to 22,000 MW(t)

®TRIGA is a registered trademark of General Atomics

*Tested at 16.5 MW(t)

Status of the TRIGA Fuel Fabrication Facility

• TRIGA fuel fabrication carried out at GA’s San Diego Campus

from1958 through 1995

• Fuel development o U content o U-235 enrichment

• Reactor design o Standard TRIGA o MTR Conversion

• Fuel element designs o Low Power Designs o High Power Design

TRIGA Fuel Fabrication Facility

Status of the TRIGA Fuel Fabrication Facility

38-mm Diameter Fuel Element

25 rod Fuel Cluster

13.8 mm Diameter Fuel Rod

High Performance Fuel Design

Standard Fuel Design

MTR Replacement

4 – Rod Cluster

Status of the TRIGA Fuel Fabrication Facility

• Licensing fees for the fuel fabrication facility in San Diego became expensive during the early 90s

• GA investigated relocating the fuel fabrication facility to reduce the escalating costs

• TRIGA International, SAS TI was founded o A 50 / 50 Joint Venture between General Atomics and CERCA (AREVA)

o A French company with headquarter in Paris, Fabrication facility in Romans sur Isere

Status of the TRIGA Fuel Fabrication Facility

• The TI joint venture has been very successful

• Fabricated more than 1000 fuel elements

• Converted 7 TRIGA reactors from the use of HEU to LEU o Romania (1/2 core)

o Texas A&M University

o Washington State University

o Oregon State University

o Wisconsin University

o Neutron Radiography TRIGA (Idaho National Laboratory) o Mexico City (ININ)

• Provides replacement fuel for TRIGA reactors as part of the US-DOE University Program

• Provides replacement fuel for other worldwide TRIGA REACTORS

TRIGA International Experience

Status of the TRIGA Fuel Fabrication Facility

• GTRI HEU/LEU conversions were coming to an end with the completion of the ININ Mexico City conversions (1Q – CY 12)

• TI fuel fabrication facility faced uncertain future

o French Safety Authority (ASN) required safety upgrades

o Maintenance and other facility upgrades

o There were very few new orders

• TI informed the TRIGA community in early 2010 that fuel

fabrication would be stopped to make the necessary upgrades

• Fukushima accident and the ensuing regulatory changes

complicated situation even further

• Strategies for restarting the facility were being considered based

on TRIGA community fuel needs

Status of the TRIGA Fuel Fabrication Facility

• Upgrade Strategy for TI’s fuel fabrication facility

o Maintain Facility in its current location

o Upgrade/repair/maintain current process and fabrication equipment

o A fuel fabrication facility capable of meeting current needs

Status of the TRIGA Fuel Fabrication Facility

• Upgrade strategy presented to DOE-NNSA

• Strategy viewed favorably, NNSA would support it.

o Blanket Master Contract (BMC) – Aug 2013

• SOW for fuel fabrication restart 2nd Qtr. 2017

o Release 1 to BMC: $2.85M – Sept 2013

• Feasibility study and preliminary/final design phases

• Period of Performance Oct. 2013 – Dec. 2014

o Release 2 to BMC: Proposed - $6.175M – Nov 2014

• Regulatory Submissions and subcontract awards

• Period of performance Jan 2015 – Jun 2016

Status of the TRIGA Fuel Fabrication Facility

Fuel Fabrication Facility Upgrade Schedule

J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M

Site Work and Tesing

TIME NOW

Licensing

Feasibility

Detailed Design

Procurement

Supplier Studies and Manufacturing

Process

Qualification

2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018

Product Qualifiaction

Start Fuel Fabrication

Status of the TRIGA Fuel Fabrication Facility

• NNSA stated that their continued support of the TRIGA fuel fabrication facility upgrade was no longer within the objectives established by congress because it was not directly supporting HEU/LEU conversion

o Therefore they could no longer fund the upgrade activities

• However NNSA wanted to find an equitable stopping point within

the current funded Release 2 Contract

o TI working with the INL Project Manager developed five options to complete

the NNSA involvement with the TFFF Upgrade

• NNSA selected Option 3 for their termination of the TFFF Upgrade

o Support the completion of the final design for the facility upgrade

o Support all safety/licensing up to the completion of the Article 26s (PSARs)

and their submittals to the ASN

o Support all subcontractor design and specifications and vendor selection

o No procurement

Status of the TRIGA Fuel Fabrication Facility

• TRIGA community responded with very aggressive and positive support for continuing the TFFF Upgrade

• IAEA held a special consultancy with US and International representation

o IAEA urged all members to contact DOE-NNSA and DOE-NE to gather

support

• TRTR also urged members to contact lobbyists and other support groups to write letters to DOE and congressional members

• DOE – NE Support

o Kenny Osborne championed the TRIGA International cause,

o Provided the high level support needed to re-establish the TFFF Upgrade

project

o Provided the funding required to continue the Upgrade project

Status of the TRIGA Fuel Fabrication Facility

1 Kick-Off Meeting X 10/15/2013

2 Project Execution Plan X 11/15/2013

3 Risk Analysis Report X 12/31/2013

4 Meeting with ASN X 2/28/2014

5 Feasibility Study Documentation X 3/15/2014

6 Start Preliminary/Final Design Phase X 3/31/2014

7 Preliminary/Final Design Execution Plan X 4/28/2014

8 Draft Article 26 (PSAR) X 7/31/2014

9 Issue Article 26 (PSAR) to ASN X 1/31/2016

10 Final Prelim/Final Design Studies X 9/30/2015

Forecasted

Date

Release 1

Deliverable NNSA NE

Status of the TRIGA Fuel Fabrication Facility

1 Kick Off Meeting x 1/15/2015

2 Project Execution Plan x 1/30/2015

3 Dismantling Article 26 (PSAR) x 9/30/2015

4 Hydride furnace - Subcontract Award Doc x 9/30/2015

5 Fusion Furnace - Subcontract Award Doc x 9/30/2015

6 Misc and Ventilation - Subcontract Award Doc x 11/30/2015

7 Begin site work order x 2/28/2016

8 ASN approval for dismantling x 2/28/2016

9 Hydride fuel design document x 5/31/2016

10 Vendor design docs misc and ventilation x 6/30/2016

11 Vendor design docs fusion furnace and hoods x 5/31/2016

12 Work Status Report - completion of work. x 5/31/2016

13 ASN approval for modifications Art 26 (PSAR) x 12/26/2015

14 Fabrication Facility Equipment accept criteria

15 Approved Testing Document for initial test

14 Additional Safety requirements x 10/31/2015

Release 2

Deliverable NNSA NEForecasted

Date

Status of the TRIGA Fuel Fabrication Facility

• Release 3 Contract o Complete building and equipment installations and testing

o Scope of Work

• Finalize all procurements

• Receive all equipment on site

• Install all equipment

• Make necessary modifications

• Revise existing operations and maintenance procedures

o Period of Performance, August 2016 to July 2017

• Release 4 Contract o Process / Product Qualification

o Scope of Work

• Verify process parameters using depleted uranium

• Train operators

• Finalize Procedures

o Period of Performance, June 2017 to December 2017

Status of the TRIGA Fuel Fabrication Facility

2015 2016 2017 2018

RFP for 7 subcontracts

(submittal, bids, vendor selection, contract awrard)

Design studiesArt 26 Upgrade

Design studiesArt 26 Dismantling

ART26 Upgrade submittal

ART26 Dismantling submittal

ASN RAIs

KOM, PMP, SCHEDULE...

ART26 Upgrade ASN approval

ART26 Dismantling ASN approval

ASN RAIs

ART26 for TRIGA into ATLAS

ART26 ATLAS submittal

ASN RAIsART26 ATLAS ASN approval

Vendor studies (Hydride furnace)

Vendor studies (Fusion furnace)

Vendor studies (Dismantling)On-s ite vendors installation and testing

Process qualification

Product qualification

Manufacturing (HVAC, Hoods and GB, Misc Works, MES)

Hydride furnace manufacturing

Fus ion furnace manufacturing

Dismantling operations

Vendor studies (Misc works, HVAC, Hoods and GB, MES) Fuel fabrication

Commissionningreport to ASN

ASN approval

Schedule for completion of TFFF Upgrade

Status of the TRIGA Fuel Fabrication Facility

• The TRIGA International fuel fabrication facility has played a key role in the supply of TRIGA fuel elements o Replacement fuel for US and International facilities

o Replacement fuel for GTRI’s HEU/LEU conversion program

• The TI facility needed safety and maintenance upgrades to meet latest French regulatory standards including post – Fukushima requirements

• DOE-NNSA originally committed to upgrade the facility

• Following the Release 2 contract DOE-NNSA determined that it could not longer support the upgrade o Agreed to a closeout option which included completion of licensing and

vendor selection

• DOE-NE championed the cause and decided to support the completion of the facility upgrade

• Smooth transition from NNSA to NE o Minor deliverable mods to be negotiated

• Restart of fabrication – end of CY 2017

Conclusion