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This program was sponsored by the U. S. Department of Energy (DOE) at the^wpx request of Helium Breeder Associates (HBA). Essential design information^ '^ , including proprietary fuel assembly drawings, was provided by the General Atomic Company (GA). To the best knowledge of the author, no proprietary information has been compromised in this report.

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This section contains the specific functions, criteria and design requirements necessary for the conceptual design of a conversion system to convert purified mixed nitrate solution to MO powder. This system will support a 150 MTHM/year mixed oxide fuel fabrication facility. RDT Standard F1-2T, "Preparation of System Design Descriptions", dated September, 1975, was used as the basis for preparation of the System Design Description (SDD). 1.0 Functions 1.1 General 0 The requirements established in the Secure Automated Fabrication (SAF) analysis (product, process and SAF requirements) shall be met as part of this design. 0 The design shall incorporate fully remote operation. Some contact maintenance may be performed on failed equipment after decontamination and removal from the processing gallery. 0 Support functions are assumed to be provided as necessary. 0 Each station shall be capable of operation in an automatic mode but shall be equipped with manual override capabilities for non-steady state operations. 0 Powder transfers between stations and/or storage are assumed to occur by some given method and are not considered as part of this SDD. 0 Each station shall be provided with the capability of performing the SNM transactions necessary to meet accountability requirements. 1.2 Conversion 1.2.1 Make Up Feed 0 Receive U-Pu nitrate solution 0 Mix the solution to the appropriate ratio Measure the solution volume, temperature and density Analyze the solution 2 Coprecipitate U and Pu Meter mixed nitrate and NH^OH to the precipitator at a controlled rate while continuously monitoring pH of the precipitator Precipitate U and Pu in the continuously stirred precipitator Transfer the slurry to the calciner 3 Calcine Precipitate Set and control the operating temperature and nitrogen gas flows to the calciner Feed the slurry into the operating calciner Calcine the slurry to MO powder Separate offgas from the powder and remove the offgas for processing 0 Break up powder agglomerates Separate the calciner shot from the powder, recycling the collected shot to the calciner 0 Collect the MO powder and transfer it to the reduction stabilization furnace 4 Reduce and Stabilize Powder Set and control the temperature, time cycle and argon hydrogen flows to the reduction furnace Reduce the MO^ to MO2 0 Separate the offgas from the powder Design Requirements 3.1 Process Requirements 3.1.1 Make Up Feed The conversion system will require direct access to the Separations Plant U-Pu nitrate solution inventory. The transfer of the solution will be accomplished by manually initiating pumping of the solution from the Separations Plant to the make up feed area in pipelines critically safe by geometry. The solution will be received in an accountability tank which is monitored and alarmed to prevent an overflow condition. The tank shall be critically safe by geometry and fitted with an offgas system. The solution will be thoroughly mixed to assure homogeneity. After mixing a representative sample of the solution shall be extracted and transported ...