NATIONAL IGNITION FACILITY ENVIRONMENTAL-PROTECTION SYSTEMS

The conceptual design of Environmental Protection Systems (EPS) for th e National Ignition Facility (NIF) is described. These systems encompa ss tritium and activated debris handling, chamber, debris shield and g eneral decontamination, neutron and gamma monitoring, and radioactive, hazardous and mixed waste handling. Key performance specifications me t by EPS designs include limiting the tritium inventory to 300 Ci and total tritium release from NIF facilities to less than 10 Ci/yr. Total radiation doses attributable to NIF shall remain below 10 mrem/yr for any member of the general public and 500 mrem/yr for NIF staff. ALARA -based design features and operational procedures will, in most cases, result in much lower measured exposures. Waste minimization, improved cycle time and reduced exposures all result from the proposed CO2 rob otic arm cleaning and decontamination system, while effective tritium control is achieved through a modern system design based on double con tainment and the proven detritiation technology.