ASTM C1217-00(2006)

NOTICE: This standard has either been superseded and replaced by a new version or withdrawn.
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Designation:C1217–00 (Reapproved 2006)
Standard Guide for
Design of Equipment for Processing Nuclear and
Radioactive Materials
This standard is issued under the fixed designation C1217; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of
original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval. A
superscript epsilon (´) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.
1. Scope 1.2.1.2 The equipment will generally be used over a long-
–term life cycle (for example, in excess of two years), but
1.1 Intent:
equipment intended for use over a shorter life cycle is not
1.1.1 This guide covers equipment used in shielded cell or
excluded.
canyon facilities for the processing of nuclear and radioactive
1.2.1.3 The material handled or processed must be retained,
materials. It is the intent of this guide to set down the
contained, and confined within known bounds for reasons of
conditions and practices that have been found necessary to
accountability or to minimize the spread of radioactive con-
ensure against or to minimize the failures and outages of
tamination.
equipment used under the subject circumstances.
1.2.1.4 Thematerialshandledorprocessedmustbekeptand
1.1.2 It is intended that this guide record the principles and
maintained within one or more of the following conditions:
caveats that experience has shown to be essential to the design,
(1) In a specific geometric array or configuration, and
fabrication, and installation of equipment capable of meeting
(2) Within a range of conditions that have been determined
the stringent demands of operating, dependably and safely, in
to be a critically safe set of conditions for that piece of
anuclearprocessingenvironmentthatoperatorscanneithersee
equipment, that is, 1) in a given and specified operational
nor reach directly.
position where adjacent nuclear criticality interaction condi-
1.1.3 This guide sets forth generalized criteria and guide-
tions are known and unchanging, 2) for a given and specified
lines for the design, fabrication, and installation of equipment
set or range of operating conditions, and 3) for a given and
used in this service. This service includes the processing of
specified process.
radioactive wastes. Equipment is placed behind radiation
1.2.1.5 The equipment can neither be accessed directly for
shieldwallsandcannotbedirectlyaccessedbytheoperatorsor
purposes of operation or maintenance, nor can the equipment
by maintenance personnel because of the radiation exposure
be viewed directly, for example, without intervening shielded
hazards. In the type of shielded cell or canyon facility of
viewing windows, periscopes, or a television monitoring sys-
interest to users of this guide, either the background radiation
tem.
levelremainshighatalltimesoritisimpracticaltoremovethe
1.2.2 Thisguideisintendedtobeapplicabletothedesignof
process sources of radiation to facilitate in situ repairs or carry
equipment for the processing of materials containing uranium
out maintenance procedures on equipment. The equipment is
and transuranium elements in any physical form under the
operated remotely, either with or without visual access to the
following conditions:
equipment.
1.2.2.1 Such materials constitute an unacceptable radiation
1.2 Applicability:
hazard to the operators and maintenance personnel,
1.2.1 This guide is intended to be applicable to equipment
1.2.2.2 Theneedexistsfortheconfinementofthein-process
used under one or more of the following conditions:
material, of dusts and particulates, or of vapors and gases
1.2.1.1 The materials handled or processed constitute a
arising or resulting from the handling and processing of such
significant radiation hazard to man or to the environment.
materials, and
1.2.2.3 Any of the conditions cited in 1.2.1 apply.
1.2.3 This guide is intended to apply to the design, fabrica-
This guide is under the jurisdiction ofASTM Committee C26 on Nuclear Fuel
Cycle and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee C26.09 on Nuclear
tion, and installation of ancillary and support services equip-
Processing.
ment under the following conditions:
Current edition approved Jan. 1, 2006. Published February 2006 . Originally
1.2.3.1 Such equipment is installed in shielded cell or
approved in 2000. Last previous edition approved in 2000 as C1217–00. DOI:
10.1520/C1217-00R06. canyon environments, or
Copyright © ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959, United States.
C1217–00 (2006)
1.2.3.2 Such equipment is an integral part of an in-cell meet or exceed statutory, regulatory, and safety requirements
processingequipmentconfiguration,oranauxiliarycomponent for that equipment under the applicable operating and service
or system thereof, even though an equipment item or system conditions.
may not directly hold or contain nuclear or radioactive mate- 1.3.6 This standard does not supersede federal or state
regulations, or both, and codes applicable to equipment under
rials under normal processing conditions.
any conditions.
NOTE 1—Upsets, accidents, or certain emergency conditions may be
specified (and thus required) design considerations, but not necessarily
2. Referenced Documents
acceptable or normal operating circumstances under this definition.
2.1 Industry and National Consensus Standards—
1.2.4 This guide is intended to apply to the design and
Nationally recognized industry and consensus standards appli-
fabrication of any and all types of equipment for radioactive
cable in whole or in part to the design, fabrication, and
wastes processing when any of the conditions cited in 1.2.1
installation of equipment are referenced throughout this guide
apply. This would include equipment for waste concentration;
and include the following:
for incorporation of wastes in selected host materials or
2.2 ASTM Standards:
matrices;andforthefixation,encapsulation,orcanningofsuch
C859 Terminology Relating to Nuclear Materials
wastes. It is intended to apply to all such wastes, regardless of D5144 Guide for Use of Protective Coating Standards in
the product waste composition or form. The product radioac-
Nuclear Power Plants
tive waste may have a glass, ceramic, metallic, concrete, 2.3 ANSI Standards:
bituminous, or other type of host material or matrices (com-
ANSI/ANS 8.1 Nuclear Criticality Safety in Operations
position), and may be in pelletized, solid, or granular form. with Fissile Materials Outside Reactors
ANS Glossary of Terms in Nuclear Science and Technol-
1.3 User Caveats:
ogy (ANS Glossary)
1.3.1 This standard does not purport to address all of the
ANSI A14.3 Ladders, Fixed Safety Requirements
safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the
2.4 ASME Standard:
responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appro-
Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code, Section VIII
priate safety and health practices and determine the applica-
ASMENQA1 QualityAssuranceRequirementsforNuclear
bility of regulatory limitations prior to use.
Facility Applications
NOTE 2—Warning: Thisstandardpertainstoequipmentusedinandfor
ASME NOG-1, Rules for Construction of Overhead Gantry
the handling and processing of nuclear and radioactive materials. These
Cranes (Top-Running Bridge, Multiple Girder)
operations are known to be hazardous for a variety of reasons, one being 5
2.5 Federal Regulations:
chemical toxicity.
10CFR50, Appendix B, Quality Assurance
1.3.2 This standard is not a substitute for applied engineer- 29CFR1910, Occupational Safety and Health Standards
ing skills. Its purpose is to provide guidance.
2.6 NationalElectricalManufacturersAssociation(NEMA)
Standards:
1.3.2.1 The guidance set forth in this standard relating to
NEMA250 Enclosures for Electrical Equipment 1000 Volts
design of equipment is intended only to alert designers and
Maximum (Type 4)
engineers to those features, conditions, and procedures that
2.7 National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Stan-
have been found necessary or highly desirable to the acquisi-
dards:
tion of reliable equipment for the subject service conditions.
NFPA 70, National Electric Code
1.3.2.2 The guidance set forth results from discoveries of
conditions, practices, features, or lack of features that were
3. Terminology
found to be sources of operational or maintenance trouble, or
3.1 Definitions:
causes of failure.
3.1.1 The terminology employed in this guide conforms
1.3.3 It is often necessary to maintain the materials being
with industry practice insofar as practicable.
processed within specific chemical composition or concentra-
3.1.2 For definitions of terms used in this guide, refer to
tion ranges, or both. When such constraints apply, it may also
Terminology C859 and ANS Glossary.
be necessary to create and maintain a specific geometric array
to minimize the chances of a nuclear criticality incident.
Designers and engineers are referred to other standards for
For referenced ASTM standards, visit the ASTM website, www.astm.org, or
contact ASTM Customer Service at service@astm.org. For Annual Book of ASTM
additional guidance when such requirements apply.
Standards volume information, refer to the standard’s Document Summary page on
1.3.4 Equipment usage intent, service conditions, size and
the ASTM website.
3 nd th
configuration, plus the configuration and features of the oper-
Available fromAmerican National Standards Institute, 11 W. 42 St., 13 Fl.,
New York, NY 10036.
ating and maintenance environments have an influence on
Available from American Society of Mechanical Engineers, 3 Park Ave., New
equipment design. Therefore, not all of the criteria, conditions,
York, NY 10016.
caveats, or features would be applicable to every equipment 5
Available from U.S. Government Printing Office, Superintendent of Docu-
item. ments, Mail Stop SSOP, Washington, DC 20402-9328.
Available from Global Engineering Co., 15 Inverness Way, Englewood, CO
1.3.5 It is intended that equipment designed, fabricated,
80112.
procured, or obtained by transfer or adaptation and re-use of
Available from National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA), One Batterymarch
existing equipment, and installed in accord with the standard Park, Quincy, MA 02269.
C1217–00 (2006)
3.2 Descriptions of Terms Specific to This Standard—The 4. Significance and Use
terms defined below are of a restricted nature, specifically
4.1 Equipment operability and long-term integrity are con-
applicable to this guide.
cerns that originate during the design and fabrication se-
3.2.1 accident—an unplanned event that could result in
quences. Such concerns can only be addressed or are most
unacceptable levels of any of the following: (1) equipment
efficiently addressed during one or the other of these stages.
damage, (2) injury to personnel, (3) downtime or outage, (4)
Equipment operability and integrity can be compromised
releaseofhazardousmaterials(radioactiveornon-radioactive),
during handling and installation sequences. For this reason, the
(5) radiation exposure to personnel, or (6) criticality.
subject equipment should be handled and installed under
3.2.2 accountability—the keeping of detailed records on,
closely controlled and supervised conditions.
and the responsibility—on the part of operations personnel and
4.2 This guide is intended as a supplement to other stan-
plant management—of being accountable for the amounts of
dards, and to federal and state regulations, codes, and criteria
special nuclear materials entering and leaving a plant, a vessel,
applicable to the design of equipment intended for this use.
or a defined processing step.
4.3 This guide is intended to be generic and to apply to a
3.2.3 datum connection points—those locations on equip-
wide range of equipment types and configurations.
ment where separate auxiliary equipment items such as pumps,
4.4 The term equipment is used herein in a generic sense.
agitators,columns,condensers,andotherseparatelyremovable
See 3.2.5 for the definition.
equipment pieces are mounted, or where process, service,
4.5 This service imposes stringent requirements on the
instrumentation, or electrical jumper connections are made.
quality and the integrity of the equipment, as follows:
3.2.3.1 Discussion—These datum connection points are po-
4.5.1 Leak tightness is required. This implies containment
sitioned by dimensioning from (theoretically) perfectly placed
of liquids at all times, and retention of vapors and gases by
base X, Y and Z datum planes; for example, such points or
means of vessel design, or through means of engineered
locations are dimensionally located by three-plane coordinate
provisions or operational procedures, or both, that ensure the
dimensions. Datum connection points are the loci of position-
retention, collection, and treatment of vapors and off-gases
ing elements such as dowels, trunnions, trunnion guides, and
when the vessel cannot be fabricated or operated with an
such other devices or elements that serve to align, position, or
air-tight vessel configuration. Radioactive materials must be
locate equipment in a precise position or array, or which serve
contained.
as a point for the connection or placement of other compo-
4.5.2 Equipment must be capable of withstanding rigorous
nents.
chemical cleaning and decontamination procedures.
3.2.4 engineering responsibility—an obligation to perform
4.5.3 Equipment must be designed and fabricated to remain
engineering design activities assigned to a specified organiza-
dimensionally stable throughout its life cycle.
tion.
4.5.4 Closefabricationtolerancesarerequiredtosetnozzles
3.2.5 geometrically favorable—equipment having set di-
and other datum points in known positions.
mensions, and a shape or a layout configuration, that provides
4.5.5 Fabrication materials must be resistant to radiation
assurance that a criticality incident cannot occur in the equip-
damage, or materials subject to such damage must be shielded
ment or system under a given set of circumstances or condi-
or placed so as to be readily replaceable.
tions.
4.5.6 Smooth surface finishes are required. Irregularities
3.2.5.1 Discussion—The given set of conditions or circum-
that hide and retain radioactive particulates or other adherent
stances requires that the isotopic composition, form, concen-
contamination must be eliminated.
tration, and density of fissile materials in the equipment or
4.5.7 Equipment must be capable of being operated virtu-
system will not violate those assumed and used for the
ally unattended, unseen, and trouble-free over long periods.
preparation of the criticality analysis, and that those variables
will remain within conservatively chosen lim
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