Diamond Wire Cutting of the Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor
The Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor (TFTR) is a one-of-a-kind, tritium-fueled fusion research reactor that ceased operation in April 1997. As a result, decommissioning commenced in October 1999. The 100 cubic meter volume of the donut-shaped reactor makes it the second largest fusion reactor in the world. The deuterium-tritium experiments resulted in contaminating the vacuum vessel with tritium and activating the materials with 14 MeV neutrons. The total tritium content within the vessel is in excess of 7,000 Curies, while dose rates approach 50 mRem/hr. These radiological hazards along with the size of the tokamak present a unique and challenging task for dismantling. Engineers at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) decided to investigate an alternate, innovative approach for dismantlement of the TFTR vacuum vessel: diamond wire cutting technology. In August 1999, this technology was successfully demonstrated and evaluated on vacuum vessel surrogates. Subsequently, the technology was improved and redesigned for the actual cutting of the vacuum vessel. Ten complete cuts were performed in a 6-month period to complete the removal of this unprecedented type of D&D (Decontamination and Decommissioning) activity.
- Research Organization:
- Princeton Plasma Physics Lab. (PPPL), Princeton, NJ (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Science (SC) (US)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC02-76CH03073
- OSTI ID:
- 811958
- Report Number(s):
- PPPL-3776; TRN: US0303283
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: PBD: 31 Jan 2003
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Demonstrating diamond wire cutting of the TFTR
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Related Subjects
22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS
72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS
DECOMMISSIONING
DECONTAMINATION
DIAMONDS
DOSE RATES
NEUTRONS
PHYSICS
RESEARCH REACTORS
TFTR TOKAMAK
THERMONUCLEAR REACTORS
TRITIUM
COOLANTS
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
METALLURGY
METALS
METALS AND METALLURGY