Remote-handling equipment for WIPP (Waste Isolation Pilot Plant) canisters

Conference · Wed Nov 01 04:00:00 EST 1989 · Transactions of the American Nuclear Society; (United States)

OSTI ID:5498357

Ledbetter, J M; Dowler, K E ^[1]

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1. Los Alamos National Laboratory, NM (USA)

Remote-handled waste will, eventually be stored at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP). The wing 9 hot cells are being phased out, and included in the waste stream will be all remote-handled waste generated during the decontamination operation. The basic requirements for this project are to certify, canisterize, and transport the loaded canisters 4 miles to an on-site disposal area for interim storage. The sealed canister is to be removed from underground storage and shipped to the WIPP site once an approved shipping cask is built. The wing 9 hot cell facility located in the Chemistry and Metallurgy Research (CMR) building has two banks of eight cells each 1.83 {times} 1.83 {times} 3.35 m (6 {times} 6 {times} 11 ft) high. Each bank has two rows of four cells separated by a corridor 2.43 {times} 9.45 {times} 4.27 m (8 {times} 31 {times} 14 ft) high. It is in one of these corridors that all the operations involved in canister loading are to be carried out. The paper describes in-cell equipment, welding and leak testing, on-site transporter system, and conclusions. All equipment has been checked out for proper operation using a dummy canister. As soon as approved canisters are available, they will be loaded with simulated waste and undergo certification as type A shipping containers.

• OSTI ID: 5498357
• Report Number(s): CONF-891103--
• Conference Information: Journal Name: Transactions of the American Nuclear Society; (United States) Journal Volume: 60
• 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
42 ENGINEERING
420203 -- Engineering-- Handling Equipment & Procedures
CLEANING
CONTAINERS
DECONTAMINATION
DEMONSTRATION PROGRAMS
EFFICIENCY
EQUIPMENT
FUNCTIONAL MODELS
HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES
HOT CELLS
LABORATORY EQUIPMENT
LASL
MATERIALS
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
NUCLEAR FACILITIES
OPERATION
PILOT PLANTS
POST-IRRADIATION EXAMINATION
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
RADIOACTIVE WASTE FACILITIES
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
REMOTE HANDLING
RESEARCH PROGRAMS
RETRIEVAL SYSTEMS
SHIELDING
TESTING
TRANSPORT
UNDERGROUND FACILITIES
US AEC
US DOE
US ERDA
US ORGANIZATIONS
WASTES
WIPP