Hazard Identification Study to Support Royal Military College SLOWPOKE-2 Reactor Refuel

Abstract

The Royal Military College of Canada (RMC) Safe LOW POwer (K)Critcal Experiment (SLOWPOKE)-2 is a non-power reactor facility in Kingston, Ontario. The reactor was commissioned in 1985 to support the operational, research, and educational needs of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF). The original fuel load reached the end of its life after 36 years of operation. In 2021, Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL) completed a project to refuel and commission the reactor with a new fuel core. A Hazard and Operability (HAZOP) study was conducted to review the procedures that were required to refuel the reactor with the new fuel core. The objective of the HAZOP study was to identify potential hazards associated with the refuelling activities, their consequences, and to ensure that appropriate safeguards were in place to prevent or mitigate potential risks. A Criticality Hazard Identification (CHI) study was also prepared to facilitate the identification of all credible abnormal criticality conditions during the refuel procedures. This paper describes the qualitative HAZOP analysis technique and its application to support the RMC SLOWPOKE-2 reactor refuel project.