Courtney J C, Klann R T
Nuclear Science Center, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge 70803-5820, USA.
Health Phys. 1997 Jan;72(1):128-35. doi: 10.1097/00004032-199701000-00018.
A comprehensive shield test program for a hot cell complex, the Fuel Conditioning Facility at Argonne National Laboratory, has been completed with minimum radiation exposure to participants. The recently modified shielding design for two hot cells and their associated transfer paths for irradiated materials was analyzed and tested for attenuating gamma rays from mixed fission product sources. Testing was accomplished using 0.37 TBq (10 Ci) and 518 TBq (14,000 Ci) 60Co sources. Of specific concern were radiation levels around wall penetrations and the interface between transport casks and the cell floor. Detailed measurements were made for surfaces that bound the hot cells, a transfer tunnel between the two cells, and storage pits that extend below the floors of both cells. In addition to surface measurements, dose equivalent rates in adjacent corridors were determined when the larger source was exposed. Results indicate that with some administrative controls, the facility shields are adequate to meet the design criterion that limits annual dose to less than 10 mSv (1 rem) for facility workers.
针对阿贡国家实验室燃料处理设施这一热室综合体的全面屏蔽测试项目已完成，且参与者所受辐射暴露降至最低。对两个热室及其相关辐照材料传输路径的最新屏蔽设计进行了分析和测试，以衰减来自混合裂变产物源的伽马射线。测试使用了0.37太贝克勒尔（10居里）和518太贝克勒尔（14,000居里）的钴-60源。特别关注的是穿墙处周围以及运输桶与热室地面之间界面处的辐射水平。对界定热室的表面、两个热室之间的传输隧道以及延伸至两个热室地面以下的储存坑进行了详细测量。除了表面测量外，当较大源暴露时还测定了相邻走廊的剂量当量率。结果表明，通过一些管理控制措施，该设施的屏蔽足以满足将设施工作人员年剂量限制在低于10毫希沃特（1雷姆）的设计标准。
