Disposal of failed melters from defense waste vitrification facilities

Conference · Wed Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1992

OSTI ID:5783061

Brackenbury, P J ^[1]; King, J ^[2]; Norman, E C ^[3]

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1. Westinghouse Hanford Co., Richland, WA (United States)
2. Westinghouse Savannah River Co., Aiken, SC (United States)
3. USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)

Currently, high-level radioactive waste forms from the US Department of Energy (DOE) defense programs at the Savannah River Site (SRS) and the Hanford Site are stored in large underground carbon steel tanks at the respective sites. Vitrification is the key technology applicable to the disposal of these high-level nuclear waste forms. Combining these waste forms with glass-forming media to create borosilicate glass will ensure safe, long-term disposal in the nation's geologic repository. Vitrification of these waste forms will be performed using large, slurry-fed melters at the Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF) at the SRS, and the Hanford Waste Vitrification Plant (HWVP) at the Hanford Site. As the focal point of both the DWPF and HWVP, the melter has a finite lifetime and must be replaced every 2 to 3 yr. The plant staff must interrupt their operations to effect the changeout. After removal from the main process canyon, the containerized melters will be placed into a concrete vault located on the vitrification plant site where the melter will await further processing. At SRS and the Hanford Site, new facilities are not available but must be provided to accomplish the next steps in the process of disposal: size reduction, segregation, and containerization of the various waste forms in preparation for shipment of each to their appropriate destinations. Removing the failed melters from the Vitrification Building, packaging, intra-area transport, and onsite vault storage are described.

• Research Organization: Westinghouse Hanford Co., Richland, WA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: DOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC06-87RL10930
• OSTI ID: 5783061
• Report Number(s): WHC-SA-1318; CONF-920430--59; ON: DE92008084
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

050900* -- Nuclear Fuels-- Transport
Handling
& Storage
052002 -- Nuclear Fuels-- Waste Disposal & Storage
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
BOROSILICATE GLASS
BUILDINGS
CERAMIC MELTERS
CONTAINERS
ELECTRIC FURNACES
FURNACES
GLASS
HANFORD RESERVATION
MANAGEMENT
MATERIALS
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
NUCLEAR FACILITIES
PACKAGING
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL
RADIOACTIVE WASTE FACILITIES
RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
RIVERS
SAVANNAH RIVER
STORAGE
STREAMS
SURFACE WATERS
TRANSPORT
UNDERGROUND DISPOSAL
UNDERGROUND STORAGE
US DOE
US ERDA
US ORGANIZATIONS
VITRIFICATION
WASTE DISPOSAL
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTE STORAGE
WASTE TRANSPORTATION
WASTES