Process logic flow diagram write up for the Advanced Recovery and Integrated Extraction System (ARIES) facility

The Department of Energy Office of Fissile Materials Disposition (DOE-MD) is planning a facility to disassemble pits and convert the plutonium in the pits into a form suitable for international inspection. The facility, called the Advanced Recovery and Integrated Extraction System (ARIES) Facility, must handle much of the 38.2 metric tons of plutonium declared excess to national security needs in ten years of operation. A process logic flow diagram for the ARIES Facility is presented here. This flow diagram is based on and supported by a library of fact sheets on topics that impact the design of the facility. Developing the flow diagram raised issues that significantly impact the design of the facility. These issues are discussed later in this document, and for some issues, discussed in greater detail in the appropriate fact sheets. The flow diagram is designed to show requirements that dictate the need for space and/or equipment. In physically designing the facility, the same space or equipment may be used to meet several requirements. The flow diagram merely shows the activities that need to occur to meet requirements for the facility. The flow diagram is not associated with any DOE site. The requirements shown on the flow diagram may be met by an existing facilities at a given site. The flow diagram and this write up do not contain a great deal of detail on how each step in the diagram is performed. At this stage of design, the flow diagram merely identifies the need for the activity. Examples for some of the activities are given in the appropriate fact sheet. How the steps are performed becomes more defined as the design of the facility progresses