Upon development of an original TREAT experiment concept, the experimenter should initiate a call with an INL scientific lead to discuss the proposed experiment. If the proposed experiment appears to be within the capabilities of TREAT, the experimenter will be requested to submit a written Feasibility Design Package to INL for review and approval. The package should contain sufficient detail to assess all feasibility aspects and include a draft schedule expectation for review. A Feasibility Design Package template is available for use in developing the package.
Experimenters should be aware of the fact that while certain proposed experiments might be technically feasible to be conducted at TREAT, the services required for such experiments might be beyond the available equipment and manpower capabilities at the INL and TREAT. In such cases, the experimenter and TREAT will discuss the concerns to reach resolution prior to continuing with the next step in this Guide.
TREAT will conduct a review of the Feasibility Design Package and assign an experiment review classification as discussed below in Section 3.1. The results of the experiment classification and feasibility review will be sent to the experimenter. Upon completion of review and resolution of any questions and comments, written acknowledgement of feasibility will be confirmed by TREAT to the experimenter. To assist the experimenter with planning and Experiment Plan Package preparation, the letter will include any requirements, recommendations, and/or additional general information brought up during the reviews.
Finally, once feasibility has been established, the experimenter will request programmatic approval from TREAT to proceed with planning and Experiment Plan Package preparation and submission.
3.1 Feasibility Review
The TREAT feasibility review process for a proposed experiment consists of a technical and safety feasibility review and engineering design reviews. These reviews are essentially independent of each other and may be performed by any combination of INL organizations and TREAT staff.
3.1.1 Experiment Review Classification
The proposed experiment will be assigned an experiment review classification based on the complexity of the experiment. The scope and depth of the programmatic reviews will vary depending on which of the following three classification levels is assigned:
Level 1
- This experiment is considered first-of-a-kind, or those requiring unusually high integrated powers or high temperatures, nonstandard test elements, or unusual post-irradiation handling or examination.
- This experiment involves a change or waiver to the TREAT Technical Specifications (TS) or Final Safety Analysis Report (FSAR).
Note: A level 1 experiment will require one to five years to complete from first discussions with TREAT to test completion.
Level 2
- This experiment is a new design that fits into standard hardware or a modification to standard TREAT design and hardware.
- This experiment may include materials that have little prior irradiation experience.
Note: A level 2 experiment will require six months to three years to complete from first discussions with TREAT to test completion.
Level 3
- Any experiment requirements for irradiation and for pre- and post-test services determined during initial review to have been met in previous experimental irradiations.
- Any experiment with standard subassembly hardware, requires no modifications, and fits within the bounds of an existing experiment safety analysis.
Note: A level 3 experiment will require 3 months to one year to complete from first discussions with TREAT to test completion.
3.1.2 Preliminary Safety Feasibility
TREAT staff will perform a preliminary safety feasibility review of the proposed experiment to ensure it does not propose undue risk to the general public, operating personnel, or the facility. Detailed safety analysis will be addressed in Section 6, however under certain circumstances preliminary safety approval from TREAT staff is required and it is important to address this during initial discussions. A review and written preliminary safety approval from TREAT staff will be required:
- If the experiment includes substantially modified experiment test vehicles, a written preliminary safety approval is required prior to fabrication and assembly of safety related hardware for the experiments (i.e., any hardware associated with an experiment whose failure could cause sudden reactivity changes, damage to the reactor, or release significant quantities of radioactive material).
- If the experiment design uses test vehicles previously safety approved, but which require test conditions that may exceed the previously approved safety envelope for the test vehicle, a new preliminary safety review and written approval is required by TREAT. It is important that this review be performed early in the experiment planning phase to ensure sufficient time for safety reviews and approvals.
3.2 Review and Acceptability
Once the experimenter submits a written request for approval, TREAT staff will perform a review including additional INL facilities/personnel as appropriate. Exemption requests for specific design or technical specification requirements must be included in the request and will be reviewed for approval. The experimenter has no actions in this process, so only a brief description of the process is provided for information.
3.2.1 Programmatic Review
INL programmatic reviews are essentially independent of each other and are performed by any combination of organizations and personnel as appropriate. Review reports shall summarize concerns raised during reviews, their resolutions, any commitments made, and final conclusions. The experimenter will be informed of review findings and requested to incorporate comments or changes in the Experiment Plan Package as appropriate.
Exemption requests will be reviewed by TREAT staff for safety and potential risk to reactor operation and written approval provided to the experimenter as appropriate.
3.2.2 Programmatic Acceptance
Once technical and program feasibility have been established, the experimenter will request written programmatic approval from TREAT. TREAT staff will review the request and provide written programmatic approval to proceed. Once approved, the experimenter will prepare an Experiment Plan Package using adequate planning as described in the following sections of the Guide.
