Criticality assessment of initial operations at the Defense Waste Processing Facility

Conference · Sat Feb 27 04:00:00 EST 1993

OSTI ID:10131978

Ha, B. C. ^[1]; Williamson, T. G. ^[1]

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1. Westinghouse Savannah River Co., Aiken, SC (United States)

At the Savannah River Site (SRS), high level radioactive wastes will be immobilized into borosilicate glass for long term storage and eventual disposal. Since the waste feed streams contain uranium and plutonium, the Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF) process has been evaluated to ensure that a subcritical condition is maintained. It was determined that the risk of nuclear criticality in the DWPF during initial, sludge-only operations is minimal due to the dilute concentration of fissile material in the sludge combined with excess neutron absorbers.

• Research Organization: Westinghouse Savannah River Co., Aiken, SC (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)
• DOE Contract Number: AC09-89SR18035
• OSTI ID: 10131978
• Report Number(s): WSRC-MS--93-562; CONF-940225--55; ON: DE94007967
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

052001
052002
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
42 ENGINEERING
CRITICALITY
Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF)
FISSILE MATERIALS
Fissile Material
HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES
NEUTRON ABSORBERS
Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)
RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL
RADIOACTIVE WASTE STORAGE
SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT
SLUDGES
TANKS
UNDERGROUND STORAGE
VITRIFICATION
WASTE DISPOSAL AND STORAGE
WASTE FORMS
WASTE PROCESSING