TA-53 More Details

March 1998 1 8 0 TA and Facilities Descriptions 4.30.2.1 Facility Hazard Categories Table 4-26 identifies the facilities at TA-53 that fall into a facility hazard category because of the type of operations performed in the facility. March 1998 1 8 1 TA and Facilities Descriptions 4.30.2.1.1 Nuclear Facility Hazard Categories TA-53 contains one Hazard Category 3 nuclear facility located in Building 3M in Experimental Area A, which currently houses the Isotope Production Facility. The facility is not nuclear at the time the nonirradiated targets, whose radioactive inventory is zero, are initially inserted in the beam line. It is not until irradiation begins and activation products in the isotope production targets reach Category 3 levels that the area is considered to be nuclear. Isotope production refers to the ongoing process in which valuable radioisotopes, including those for medical use, are produced by the linear accelerator. Materials irradiation is a similar process conducted to ascertain the effects of beam irradiation on material properties. Because inventories of radioactive materials in the isotope production facility develop as a result of irradiation and cannot be measured beforehand, an inventory limit is calculated to ensure that the hazard category does not rise to levels beyond that projected. 4.30.2.1.2 Non-Nuclear Facility Hazard Categories Twenty-two L/RAD facilities and 5 L/ENS facilities are located at TA-53. Only the more significant facilities are discussed below; the rest of the facilities are identified in Table 4-26 and on the accompanying figures. 4.30.2.1.2.1 Buildings Categorized L/RAD 4.30.2.1.2.1.1 Laboratory and Office Building The Laboratory and Office Building (Building 1, Figure 4-30, Sheet 2) houses both offices and laboratories. The laboratories have been used for radiochemistry activities and therefore are categorized as L/RAD. The offices are normally separated from the laboratories. 4.30.2.1.2.1.2 Linear Accelerator The Linear Accelerator (Building 3, Sectors A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, J, N, P, R, and S) (Figure 4-30, Sheets 2 and 3) is more than a half-mile in length and has 316,000 ft2 (96,317 m2) of floor space, which is about one-third of the total area under roof at TA-53. The building contains equipment to form H+ and H- proton ion beams and to accelerate the beams to 84% of the speed of light. Ancillary equipment is used to transport the proton ion beam; maintain vacuum conditions in the beam transport system; and provide heating, ventilation, and cooling. The beam tunnel itself is located 35 ft (10.7 m) below grade to provide radiation protection. Abovesurface structures house the radiofrequency power sources used to accelerate the beam. Experimental Area A is the largest [~32,000 ft2 (~9,754 m2)] of the experimental areas at TA-53. This area has housed numerous meson experiment stations in the past. By 1998, all experimental stations will be dismantled and removed, to be replaced by a major new experimental facility, the Long-Pulse Spallation Source (LPSS). LPSS will include the use of ultracold neutrons as a research tool, an area of research that is just beginning to emerge. LPSS will be designed to have 14 beam lines for neutron-scattering research and another for high-energy neutron research. Sector N (Experimental Area B) currently houses several experimental stations that are no longer funded. Facilities for the production of exotic medical isotopes may be located here within the next five years. Sector P (Experimental Area C) currently holds the High-Resolution Spectrometer, which will be dismantled and removed by 1998. A Proton Radiography Firing Site will be constructed in its stead as part of the Laboratory’s Science-Based Stockpile Stewardship Program.   ©2004 lasg.org