Readiness Review of BWXT for Fabrication of AGR-5/6/7 TRISO Particles [report]

Douglas William Marshall, Michelle Tracy Sharp
2016 unpublished
Battelle Energy Alliance, LLC (BEA) conducted a readiness review at the BWX Technologies (BWXT) facility in Lynchburg, VA on February 9 -10, 2016 to assess readiness to commence fabrication of tristructural isotropic (TRISO) coated fuel particles for the Advanced Gas Reactor (AGR) irradiation experiments 5, 6, and 7. The BEA team was welcomed into the BWXT facility and given the opportunity to examine procedures, training documents, and opportunities to interview performers and management. The
more » ... eview team applied NQA-1-2008/1a-2009 criteria to the following focus areas for the review: • Process instrumentation and measurement and test equipment calibrations • Approval, control and accessibility of operating procedures • Process record control and accessibility • Configuration design and control • Operator training, certification, and qualification • Chemical inventories for fabrication and chemical characterization • Consumables inventories • Material Procurements • Operability of essential TRISO coating furnace and ancillary equipment • Corrective actions system • Product acceptance • Handling and Storage • Personnel have access to and are familiar with the latest AGR Work scope and requirements documents With exception of three issues, BWXT is deemed to be ready to fabricate TRISO coated particles for the AGR experiments. The three issues are 1) that recent process equipment failures are still being resolved, so equipment readiness could not be verified, 2) chemical purity specifications were not fully communicated to suppliers in all cases resulting in one spare acetylene cylinder being suspect, and 3) disposition codes had not been recorded on a BWXT Quality Control Deficiency Notice to prevent possible use of the material during production coating runs. Of these issues, the repair of the equipment is the only issue that will delay TRISO particle fabrication. The other issues are expected to be readily addressed. ix x ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
doi:10.2172/1260464 fatcat:zbnzxi4kbndvnoljvf7fo34mhe