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Title: Underwater dismantling thermal cutting tools measurement of secondary wastes

Book ·
OSTI ID:277807
 [1];  [2];  [3]
  1. CE/Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette (France). Inst. de Protection et de Surete Nucleaire
  2. CE/Valrho, Bagnols-sur-Ceze (France)
  3. CE/Cadarache, St. Paul-lez-Durance (France)

The general aim of this study was to examine the underwater cutting of thick steelplates and the cutting of radioactive parts from dismantling operations. The three tools tested in the Pegase facility of the nuclear center of Cadarache were the plasma torch (1,000 A), the consumable electrode which is a tool in which a wire is continuously unwound from a coil into the kerf and an arc is ignited by a short circuit between the wire and the workpiece and the Contact Arc Metal Cutting (CAMC) which is a technique in which an electrode of graphite and the workpiece are connected in short circuit with a high current. Ten experiments were carried out (seven non radioactive plates and three radioactive plates were cut) in a 7.7 m{sup 3} tank located in a 32 m{sup 3} cell. For each experiment, a lot of measurements about secondary wastes were done: (1) the balance of the solid (sedimented dross, suspended particles, attached slag, aerosols) and gaseous (NO, NO{sub x}, CO, O{sub 3}, H{sub 2}) emissions; (2) the characterization of the aerosols (particle size distribution, chemical analyses), of the suspended particles (particle size distribution, concentration in different water levels, chemical analyses) and of the sedimented dross (particle size distribution); (3) the balance of the radioactive distributions; and (4) the water quality (pH, turbidity, conductivity).

OSTI ID:
277807
Report Number(s):
CONF-960306-; ISBN 0-7918-1226-X; TRN: 96:018216
Resource Relation:
Conference: ICONE 4: ASME/JSME international conference on nuclear engineering, New Orleans, LA (United States), 10-13 Mar 1996; Other Information: PBD: 1996; Related Information: Is Part Of ICONE-4: Proceedings. Volume 5: Radioactive waste disposal; Decontamination and decommissioning; Aging assessment and license renewals; Global advances in nuclear codes and standards; Major component reliability; Rao, A.S. [ed.] [General Electric Nuclear Energy, San Jose, CA (United States)]; Duffey, R.B. [ed.] [Brookhaven National Lab., Upton, NY (United States)]; Elias, D. [ed.] [Commonwealth Edison, Downers Grove, IL (United States)]; PB: 525 p.
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English