RADLAB - Radiological laboratory commissioning

Following success with getting the in-cell EDM working in tandem with the water cleaning circuit located in the basement, efforts continued in 2018 towards understanding and accommodating what proved to be a more complicated flow rate variability than originally expected in the different operational modes (working tank filling, emptying and water flow during cutting). Complete elimination of contamination from passing into the EDM circuitry with the set-up seems difficult to achieve though. Nonetheless, with the saw operational, trials were carried out for cutting specimens from the trepan samples for the BRUTE project.

Figure 2.55.With the electric discharge machine operational, trials were carried out for cutting specimens from the trepan samples for the BRUTE project.

Regarding thein-cell EBW, all nuclearization components for the EBW were installed, and the supplier carried out a final day of training for VTT personnel. The device is essentially ready for normal operation.

All thein-cell mechanical testing devices benefited from the addition of two new employees, one an experienced testing engineer and another a research scientist focusing on fracture mechanics. As a part of preparing for device accreditation, a KMF 100 Calibrator was purchased to check the linearity of extensometers. The principle mechanical testing methods were evaluated for accreditation in end of 2018.

A few hot cell workers attended the international HOTLAB 2018 meeting in Helsinki, which featured a full session on in-cell testing methods of structural materials, and several relevant posters as well.

WP2 – Equipment procurement: This work package is mainly tasked with continuing to execute the procurement process for the hot laboratory equipment. This includes in particular investments included in the RADINFRA investment-aid instrument. A special mini-expo held at the international HOTLAB 2018 meeting featured 14 different companies, many of them suppliers of equipment and devices for hot cell environments.

In the 2018 project year road transport casks have been researched, discussions held with suppliers, and budgetary and delivery time information received. Unfortunately, it appears that the cost would be close to 3 million euros for a suitable cask, which seems unrealistic.

All of the analytical radiochemistry devices have been ordered and delivered, and trainings held. The light optical microscope (LOM) was ordered and delivered at a cost of half what was

originally budgeted. The savings in the LOM are to be put towards a conventional spark OES device for measuring trace elements and carbon content in metals.

WP3 –Research equipment: This work package is mainly tasked with the development and construction of those research devices that are not readily available on the market, but rather require custom design. During 2018 theautoclave installations were completed and trial runs carried out. The devices for hot specimen handling progressed, but final assembly will not be completed until February 2019. The final detailed design for the custom in-cell sawing and milling machine proposed by Metecno was approved, and its fabrication is underway, still on schedule for installation in March 2019. The new NPP filter testing facility construction got underway, and the task leader estimates 50% completion this year for the total assembly;

about ¾ of the needed investment procurements have been made in 2018.

WP4 – Supporting facilities: The VTT CNS requires a number of supporting facilities for handling and storage of specimens and dry and wet waste. The infra for them are realized mainly as subcontracts, and thus follow-up is mainly as a procurement process. However, implementation requires effort in areas such as producing the waste handling guidelines and population of the specimen database.

In 2018 the remaining key components of thewet waste handling system were fabricated by Platom Oy and installed at VTT. Simultaneously the wet-waste handling guides for the radiochemistry labs were written, and the general waste handling guide was updated for submission with paperwork for A-class laboratory licensing.

The ITD subcontract for thespecimen storage device progressed such that the design review took place in May, the Factory Acceptance Test took place in August, and installation commenced in late September. Due to some fabrication issues, some silo tubes had to be repaired, delaying final acceptance, but all main issues were resolve by the end of December 2018; the final payment was made in January 2019. The Pergament specimen database was populated with the laboratory rooms in the facility, as well as with all of the alpha-numerical locations in the specimen storage device.

Figure 2.56.The fabrication and installation of the alphanumerically organized shielded storage device for radioactive specimens was executed in the 2018 project year.

WP5 – VTT CNS: This task is focused on taking the VTT Centre for Nuclear Safety radiological laboratory in general into use. This includes preparing the licensing papers and developing some specific laboratory methods.

Already in the first quarter of 2018 the license expansion papers were submitted to STUK, and the review process concluded with an understanding that there is not further obstacle to granting the license expansion, but a need for improved waste handling methods and prevention of legacy waste accumulation was identified, particularly with future decommissioning in mind.

With regard to the inductionally coupled plasma mass spectrometer (ICP-MS), the round robin was completed, two posters were presented at a conference, and a third person participated in the Thermo training program.

Deliverables in 2018

• A written report describing the functionality of the in-cell Electric Discharge Machine, showing that, while working in tandem with the water cleaning circuit the device is ready for cutting things like mechanical test specimens from RPV trepan samples, complete elimination of contamination from passing into the EDM circuitry seems difficult to achieve with the current set-up.

• A written report describing the functionality of the in-cell Electron Beam Welder, showing that it is capable of joining materials for applications such as test-specimen reconstitution, although the ideal welding parameters for each type of specimen still need evaluation.

• A written report describing the functionality of the Zwick RKP 450 impact test devices with semi-automatic tempering and specimen feed, describing that it has been calibrated by VTT External Services, and is in principle ready for conducting impact testing of all materials in a locally shielded position in the laboratory.

• A written report describing the functionality of the Zwick in-cell Z250 electromechanical test device with environment chamber, demonstrating that the device functions in accordance with requirements, and therefore is ready for use in mechanical testing of various kinds, such as four-point bend, tensile and compact tension specimens.

• A written report describing the functionality of the in-cell pre-fatigue devices, including the Piezomatic device employed only for three point bend SEN(B) type specimens, and the MTS that is primarily for compact tension C(T) type specimens but also suitable for SEN(B) specimens.

• A written report describing the functionality of the OGP Smartscope CNC200 “Flash” in- cell table-top digital optical dimensioning microscope, which has been calibrated, and is ready for use in research and testing work.

• A written report describing the functionality of the Struers DuraScan-80 in-cell hardness testing device, which has been calibrated, compared with other devices via an external and internal testing round-robin, and is therefore ready for use for its intended purposes.

• A procurement specification for a certified radioactive materials road transport cask.

• Identification of three potential suppliers for the road transport cask, and cost and delivery time estimates from each of them for a cask meeting the specifications.

• Delivery of an Ortec alpha-spectrometer device procured via a legal tendering process for analyzing the specific alpha-emissions from particular radionuclides.

• Delivery of an Agilent 5110 SVDV inductionally coupled plasma optical emission spectrometer (ICP-OES) procured via a legal tendering process.

• A written report describing the functionality of the installed ICP-OES device, demonstrating that the device functions in accordance with requirements, and is therefore ready for use in assessing the isotopic composition of materials.

• Delivery of an AeroTrak 9110 aerosol particle counting device procured via a legal tendering process, for cleanroom monitoring, process tool monitoring, and filter test applications.

• Delivery of an Ultrawave digester device via a legal tendering process, for dissolving substances into a liquid prior to injection into one of the radiochemistry analysers.

• Delivery of a Zeiss Axio Observer 7 inverted metallograph light optical microscope following a legal tendering process, for installation into the hot cell for use in examining polished cross-sections of radioactive materials.

• A written report describing the functionality of the new Cormet hot autoclave facility, following a test-run using O-ring specimens, demonstrating that the new autoclave and its hot water loop are ready for conducting SCC tests in simulated PWR water conditions.

• Selection of Meteco as supplier following legal public tender for the custom in-cell sawing and milling device for installation in Cell 3.1, followed by acceptance of the engineering design for subsequent fabrication of the device.

• Drawings and fabrication of key components of the new NPP iodine filter testing system.

• Delivery and installation of the wet-waste handling liquid evaporator-recondenser designed and fabricated on a contract with Platom Oy.

• Written report describing the functionality of the wet waste handling device operation.

• Internal written guide for the Centre for Nuclear Safety laboratory waste handling approach.

• Detailed design of the physical radioactive specimen storage facility produced on a subcontract with Isotope Technologies Dresden GmbH.

• Factory acceptance test and subsequent installation and site acceptance test of the physical radioactive specimen storage facility for orderly temporary storage of research and testing materials.

• Population of the Pergament specimen database system with all the alphanumerical storage locations of the new physical storage facility, for maintaining orderly records of the radioactive specimens stored on site.

• A research report describing the results of the round robin tests of the high resolution inductionally coupled plasma mass spectrometer (HR-ICP-MS) located in the new clean room setting in the Centre for Nuclear Safety, demonstrating its efficacy over a range of elements of different substances.

• Proficiency certificate for a third operator of the HR-ICP-MS following formal training at the Thermo course in Germany.

• A conference poster on quality assurance measurements with reference materials at the 9th Nordic Conference on Plasma Spectrochemistry.

• A conference poster on elemental characterization analysis of decommissioning materials from the FiR1 Triga Mark II type research reactor, at the 9th Nordic Conference on Plasma Spectrochemistry.

• Approval from STUK for expansion of the license to operation of the full radiological facility, including the new hot cells.

2.4.4 BRUTE - Barsebäck RPV material used for true evaluation of embrittlement