A computer model of gas generation and transport within TRU waste drums

Technical Report · Wed Jun 01 04:00:00 EDT 1988

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/7025844· OSTI ID:7025844

Smith, III, F G

A computer model has been developed to predict radiolytic gas generation and transport within Transuranic (TRU) waste drums and surrounding enclosures. Gas generation from the radiolytic decomposition of organic material contaminated with plutonium is modeled and the concentrations of gas throughout the waste drum and enclosures are determined using a diffusional transport model. The model accurately reproduces experimentally measured gas concentrations. With polyethylene waste in unvented drums, the model predicts that the concentration of hydrogen gas can exceed 4 mole percent (lower flammable limit) with only about 5 curies of plutonium. If the drum liner is punctured and an unrestricted 0.75-in. carbon composite filter vent is installed in the drum lid, the plutonium loading can be increased to 240 Ci without generating flammable gas mixtures. Larger diameter filters can be used to increase the curie loading. The model has been used to show that shipments of 1000 Ci of plutonium-238 contaminated waste from Savannah River to the WIPP site are feasible using the TRUPACT shipping container. 10 refs., 17 figs., 6 tabs.

• Research Organization: Savannah River Lab., Aiken, SC (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC09-76SR00001
• OSTI ID: 7025844
• Report Number(s): DP-1754; ON: DE89002387
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

052002* -- Nuclear Fuels-- Waste Disposal & Storage
053000 -- Nuclear Fuels-- Environmental Aspects
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
ACTINIDE ISOTOPES
ACTINIDE NUCLEI
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
ALPHA-BEARING WASTES
CHEMICAL RADIATION EFFECTS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHEMISTRY
CONTAINERS
DECOMPOSITION
ELEMENTS
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
FUNCTIONAL MODELS
HEAVY NUCLEI
HYDROGEN
ISOTOPES
MANAGEMENT
MATERIALS
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
NONMETALS
NUCLEAR FACILITIES
NUCLEI
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PILOT PLANTS
PLUTONIUM 238
PLUTONIUM ISOTOPES
PRODUCTION
RADIATION CHEMISTRY
RADIATION EFFECTS
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
RADIOACTIVE WASTE FACILITIES
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
RADIOISOTOPES
RADIOLYSIS
SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT
TRANSPORT
UNDERGROUND DISPOSAL
UNDERGROUND FACILITIES
US AEC
US DOE
US ERDA
US ORGANIZATIONS
WASTE DISPOSAL
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTES
WIPP
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES