Deep Bore Storage of Nuclear Waste Using MMW (Millimeter Wave) Technology, STTR Fast Track Project, Phase I Final Report-Revised
- Impact Technologies LLC, Tulsa, OK (United States)
- Massachusetts Inst. of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA (United States)
This report covers the technical work in Phase I of this DOE-Nuclear Program STTR Fast Track project. All key tasks were successfully performed, new tasks were added to utilize DOD-AFRL’s 95 GigaHertz (GHz) gyrotron in Phase II, while other lesser tasks were left for Phase II efforts or were requested to be made optional. This research adds to our understanding of using MMW power to melt and vaporize rocks and steel/ metals and laid plans for future testing in Phase II. This work built upon a prior DOE project DE-EE0005504 that developed the basic waveguide setup, process and instruments. In this project we were investigating the use of MMW to form rock melt and steel plugs in deep wells to further isolate highly radioactive nuclear waste in ultra-deep basement rocks for long term storage. This technology also has potential for deep well drilling for nuclear storage, geothermal and oil and gas industries. It also has the potential for simultaneously sealing and securing the wellbore with a thick rock melt liner as the wellbore is drilled. This allows for higher levels of safety and protection of the environment during deep drilling operations. The larger purpose of this project was to find answers to key questions in progressing MMW technology for these applications. Phase I of this project continued bench testing using the MIT 10 kilo-Watt (kW), 28 GHz frequency laboratory gyrotron, literature searches, planning and design of equipment for Phase II efforts. Furnace melting and rock testing (Tasks 4 and 5) were deferred to Phase II due to lack of concurrent availability of the furnace and personnel at MIT. That delay and lower temperature furnace (limited to 1650oC) caused rethinking of Task 4 to utilize coordinated rock selection with the DOD testing in Phase II. The high pressure and high power window design work (moved to Phase I Task 3 from Phase II Task 20) and Additive materials and methods (Tasks 7 & 8) performed in Phase I may become patentable and thus little detail can be provided in this public report. A version of that new high pressure, high MMW power window may be built for possible Phase II testing at the DOD site. Most significantly, additional tasks were added for planning the use of the Department of Defense, Air Force Research Laboratory’s (DOD-AFRL’s) System 0 gyrotron in Phase II. Specifically added and accomplished were multiple discussions on DOD and DOE-MIT-Impact goals, timing between ongoing DOD testing, outlining the required equipment and instruments for rock testing, and terms for an agreement. That addition required a visit to Kirtland AFB in Albuquerque, New Mexico to talk to key DOD-AFRL personnel and management. A DOD-Impact-MIT charter (i.e., contract) is now being circulated for signatures. Also added task to Phase I, MIT designed the critical path reflected power isolator screen for Phase II testing. To ensure compatibility, that design was computer simulated for the expected heat load distribution and the resulting temperature increase. Advancing the MMW testing up to the optimum 95 GHz and 100kW (5X higher) power levels was stated in the original proposal to be a key required development step for this technology to achieve prototype drilling, lining, and rock melting/ vaporization for creating sealing plugs.
- Research Organization:
- Impact Technologies LLC, Tulsa, OK (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Nuclear Energy (NE); USDOD; US Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR)
- DOE Contract Number:
- SC0012308
- OSTI ID:
- 1414585
- Type / Phase:
- STTR (Phase I)
- Report Number(s):
- DE-SC0012308
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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