A system for automated, dismantlement of plutonium weapons components
- Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States); and others
The development of advanced dismantlement technologies will play an integral part on the changing role of the DOE. As an important component to this effort, the ARIES (Automated Retirement and Integrated Extraction System) System is designed to provide a test bed for the development of technology for the dismantlement of the primaries of nuclear weapons (pits). The ARIES system will integrate and automate the processes of pit disassembly, plutonium, plutonium removal, preparation of oxide from plutonium metal, decontamination of non-plutonium parts, and in-line measurement of the products and wastes by state-of-the-art non-destructive assay (NDA) methods. No integrated method now exists for the dismantlement and recovery of nuclear material from many weapons designs. Even those assemblies for which recovery techniques have been established require extensive manual handling (with associated personnel exposure to radiation) and result in considerable waste generation during dismantlement. The disposition of excess plutonium will require a facility to disassemble and remove plutonium from the pits. ARIES will provide the methods to satisfy this goal while at the same time reducing waste generation, lowering personnel radiation exposures, and operating to the highest standards of safety and security. A description of the ARIES system is given.
- OSTI ID:
- 182997
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-950917-; ISBN 0-7918-1219-7; TRN: IM9608%%366
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 5. international conference on radioactive waste management and environmental remediation, Berlin (Germany), 3-9 Sep 1995; Other Information: PBD: 1995; Related Information: Is Part Of Fifth international conference on radioactive waste management and environmental remediation -- ICEM `95: Proceedings. Volume 1: Cross-cutting issues and management of high-level waste and spent fuel; Slate, S.; Feizollahi, F.; Creer, J. [eds.]; PB: 900 p.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
42 ENGINEERING NOT INCLUDED IN OTHER CATEGORIES
NUCLEAR WEAPONS DISMANTLEMENT
MATERIALS HANDLING EQUIPMENT
AUTOMATION
PLUTONIUM OXIDES
PRODUCTION
MATERIALS HANDLING
OXIDATION
NONDESTRUCTIVE ANALYSIS
MATERIALS RECOVERY
CLEANING
CUTTING TOOLS
COMPUTERIZED CONTROL SYSTEMS
PLUTONIUM HYDRIDES
DECOMPOSITION