The UK Tritium Users' Group

Transcription

1 The UK Tritium Users' Group and Aspects of Tritium Monitoring at AWE Prepared by Gareth Price ARMUG Meeting NPL - Nov 05 Crown Copyright (2005) "This document is of United Kingdom origin and contains proprietary information which is the property of the Secretary Of State for Defence. It is furnished in confidence and may not be copied, used or disclosed in whole or in part without prior written consent of the Director Commercial 2, Defence Procurement Agency, Ash 2b, MailPoint 88, Ministry of Defence, Abbey Wood, Bristol, BS34 8JH, England". Job No/ 1

2 Contents Members of the UK Tritium Users Group Scope of Users Group Tritium Monitoring at AWE(A) Summary Job No/ 2

3 UK Tritium Users Group Job No/ 3

4 History of the Group Following a meeting of the US Tritium Focus Group: AWE proposed a UK version with GE Healthcare (Amersham). 1st Meeting held Jun 03 at AWE 6 Organisations represented 5th Meeting at Dounreay (Oct 05) Current number of organisations = 18 Job No/ 4

5 Objectives Purpose The Tritium Users Group (TUG) provides a forum for the exchange of information on topics of common interest to the UK Tritium community. Goals To develop a more integrated, open UK Tritium community able to utilise available expertise and share experience with the common aim of improving safety, cost effectiveness and environmental impact of tritium operations. Job No/ 5

6 Scope of Interest the design, commissioning, operation, maintenance and decommissioning of plant and processes equipment and materials evaluations container design and approvals tritium monitoring, measurement and accountancy waste assay waste disposal supplier performance data acquisition and system control training methods risk assessments emergency response health physics issues Regulator issues (EA, NII ) Job No/ 6

7 Tritium Monitoring at AWE Anne-Marie Saunders Radiological Instrumentation Services Job No/ 7

8 Tritium Facilities New Tritium processing facilities Old Tritium processing facilities Undergoing decommissioning Multi-isotope processing facility (HT & α) Undergoing decommissioning Storage facilities Test facilities Short-duration monitoring Job No/ 8

9 Workspace Surveying Stack Monitoring System Overview Fume cupboard/airbox containments Inert gas Glovebox containments Process Gas clean-up system (GCUS) Job No/ 9

10 Installed Instruments Overhoff T401 2l flow-through ion chamber Workspace Fume cupboards/airbox containments Stack monitoring Harwell T18 2l flow-through ion chamber Workspace Stack monitoring 2l diffusion ion chamber Workspace 0.5l diffusion ion chamber Fume cupboard/airbox & Inert glovebox containments Gas clean-up system Job No/ 10

11 Stack Monitoring Real-time - Ion chamber with integrator Passive sampling - regulatory monitoring Bubbler gaseous emissions SAS units particulate emissions Test & Calibration Job No/ 11

12 Surveying Smear counters - gas proportional counters surface monitoring short turn-around/health-check Portable ion chamber monitors 394C, T401, NIS221 airborne contamination survey LLW assessment Liquid scintillation counters lower MDA than smear counters smear papers and bubbler samples Job No/ 12

13 Calibration & Servicing Philosophy RSA 93 & IRR 99 NII licence conditions CEAR & EMIT M11 compliance/bpm/bepo Routine tasks Annual calibration Preventative action Breakdowns Service agreements Job No/ 13

14 Ion chamber construction Stainless Steel long-term usage, minimal hold-up Aluminium Alloy significant hold-up Gold-plated reduced hold-up Virtual Wall trial ongoing - initial results promising roll-out use in high activity locations Job No/ 14

15 Summary UK Tritium Users Group Growing Covering many topics from design - decommissioning AWE Many decades experience of tritium operations Dedicated team for Radiological Instruments supporting facility operations. Job No/ 15