Speaker
Description
Installation of Mercury Shutters at LANSCE
Melvin Borrego (Operations Manager LFO-EXP)
As part of a long-term modernization effort at the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center (LANSCE), the MARK-III target of the 1L Target system was replaced in 2022 with a new design, creating a unique opportunity to upgrade legacy beamline shutters unchanged since 2002. This effort enabled replacement of hydraulically driven mechanical shutters on Flight Paths 12 and 13, previously located downstream of the bulk shield in Experimental Room 1 (ER1). Because the original shutters were positioned externally to the bulk shield, closed-shutter surveys resulted in elevated dose rates within ER1. The installation of two mercury shutters inside the biological shield significantly reduced dose rates and improved overall radiological conditions. The project was completed through detailed planning, rigorous radiological controls, mercury transfer operations procedures and while executing safe forklift, crane and Mechanical Material Handling operations involving activated/hazardous components, without injuries or safety incidents. This enabled us to establish a standardized approach for future mercury shutter installations at LANSCE.