Fluidized bed incineration of transuranic waste

Conference · Tue Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1980

OSTI ID:5388738

Fluidized bed incineration has been developed and is being evaluated at the Rocky Flats Plant (RFP) as an alternative to conventional incineration for processing transuranic (TRU) combustible waste. Fluidized bed technology development at RFP began in 1970. Laboratory and bench-scale equipment was used to determine basic fluidizing characteristics and parameters. Sufficient information was obtained so that by 1974, a metal vessel system with a 9 kh/hour (20 lb/hour) throughput was built. Operating success was rapidly achieved and in 1975 a decision was made to scale-up this 9 kg/hour pilot plant to a full scale 82 kg/hour (180 lb/hour) facility. In the subsequent four years, the process was developed beginning with a system analysis including mass and energy balances, process layouts, operating constraints and flow diagrams. Engineering uncertainties in the larger scale equipment and processes were identified, and an integrated laboratory development program was initiated to solve specific scale-up problems. Detailed engineering design then proceeded, followed by construction. By the summer of 1978, the facility was installed and component and systems testing begun. By the summer of 1979, the facility achieved its operational goal of 100 continuous hours of operation including 16 hours of operation on contaminated waste.

• Research Organization: Rockwell International Corp., Golden, CO (USA). Rocky Flats Plant
• DOE Contract Number: AC04-76DP03533
• OSTI ID: 5388738
• Report Number(s): RFP-3030; CONF-800611-7
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

052001* -- Nuclear Fuels-- Waste Processing
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
COMBUSTION
ELEMENTS
EQUIPMENT
FLUIDIZED-BED COMBUSTION
INCINERATORS
MANAGEMENT
OXIDATION
PROCESSING
RADIOACTIVE WASTE PROCESSING
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES
TRANSURANIUM ELEMENTS
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTE PROCESSING