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Title: Operating experience during high-level waste vitrification at the West Valley Demonstration Project

Abstract

This report provides a summary of operational experiences, component and system performance, and lessons learned associated with the operation of the Vitrification Facility (VF) at the West Valley Demonstration Project (WVDP). The VF was designed to convert stored high-level radioactive waste (HLW) into a stable waste form (borosilicate glass) suitable for disposal in a federal repository. Following successful completion on nonradioactive test, HLW processing began in July 1995. Completion of Phase 1 of HLW processing was reached on 10 June 1998 and represented the processing of 9.32 million curies of cesium-137 (Cs-137) and strontium-90 (Sr-90) to fill 211 canisters with over 436,000 kilograms of glass. With approximately 85% of the total estimated curie content removed from underground waste storage tanks during Phase 1, subsequent operations will focus on removal of tank heel wastes.

Authors:
;
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
West Valley Nuclear Services Co., Inc., West Valley, NY (US)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM) (US)
OSTI Identifier:
754792
Report Number(s):
DOE/NE/44139-87; B-and-R-EX31-33000
R&D Project: OH 4001 WV (ADS Number); B&R EX31 33000; TRN: US0002988
DOE Contract Number:
AC24-81NE44139
Resource Type:
Technical Report
Resource Relation:
Other Information: PBD: 1 Jan 1999
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; 12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE WASTES, AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; RADIOACTIVE WASTE FACILITIES; HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES; VITRIFICATION; WASTE FORMS; RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL; BOROSILICATE GLASS; STORAGE FACILITIES; WASTE RETRIEVAL; REMEDIAL ACTION

Citation Formats

Valenti, P.J., and Elliott, D.I. Operating experience during high-level waste vitrification at the West Valley Demonstration Project. United States: N. p., 1999. Web. doi:10.2172/754792.
Valenti, P.J., & Elliott, D.I. Operating experience during high-level waste vitrification at the West Valley Demonstration Project. United States. doi:10.2172/754792.
Valenti, P.J., and Elliott, D.I. Fri . "Operating experience during high-level waste vitrification at the West Valley Demonstration Project". United States. doi:10.2172/754792. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/754792.
@article{osti_754792,
title = {Operating experience during high-level waste vitrification at the West Valley Demonstration Project},
author = {Valenti, P.J. and Elliott, D.I.},
abstractNote = {This report provides a summary of operational experiences, component and system performance, and lessons learned associated with the operation of the Vitrification Facility (VF) at the West Valley Demonstration Project (WVDP). The VF was designed to convert stored high-level radioactive waste (HLW) into a stable waste form (borosilicate glass) suitable for disposal in a federal repository. Following successful completion on nonradioactive test, HLW processing began in July 1995. Completion of Phase 1 of HLW processing was reached on 10 June 1998 and represented the processing of 9.32 million curies of cesium-137 (Cs-137) and strontium-90 (Sr-90) to fill 211 canisters with over 436,000 kilograms of glass. With approximately 85% of the total estimated curie content removed from underground waste storage tanks during Phase 1, subsequent operations will focus on removal of tank heel wastes.},
doi = {10.2172/754792},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Fri Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1999},
month = {Fri Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1999}
}

Technical Report:

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  • A liquid-fed joule-heated ceramic melter system is the reference process for immobilization of the high-level liquid waste in the US and several foreign countries. This system has been under development for over ten years at Pacific Northwest Laboratory and other national laboratories operated for the US Department of Energy. Pacific Northwest Laboratory contributed to this research through its Nuclear Waste Treatment Program and used applicable data to design and test melters and related systems using remote handling of simulated radioactive wastes. This report describes the equipment designed in support of the high-level waste vitrification program at West Valley, New York.more » Pacific Northwest Laboratory worked closely with West Valley Nuclear Services Company to design a liquid-fed ceramic melter, a liquid waste preparation and feed tank and pump, an off-gas treatment scrubber, and an enclosed turntable for positioning the waste canisters. Details of these designs are presented including the rationale for the design features and the alternatives considered.« less
  • The equipment as designed, started, and operated for high-level radioactive waste vitrification at the West Valley Demonstration Project in western New York State is described. Equipment for the processes of melter feed make-up, vitrification, canister handling, and off-gas treatment are included. For each item of equipment the functional requirements, process description, and hardware descriptions are presented.
  • Laboratory experiments were conducted to simulate the transfer of acidic THOREX waste from Tank 8D-4 into the alkaline PUREX waste in Tank 8D-2 at West Valley. The purpose of the experiments was to explore means of minimizing the production of nitric oxide (NO) gas during mixing of the two wastes and to assess the potential for the gas to further react in the vapor space possibly leading to enhanced corrosion of the tank walls. Forty one THOREX/PUREX mixing tests were conducted to explore the effects of stirring rate, pH, THOREX addition rate, THOREX or PUREX dilution, and temperature. The twomore » most important criteria for minimizing NO production were to maintain some degree of agitation and the keep the pH in the PUREX high, preferably >12. Steel corrosion tests were performed in the presence of low partial pressures of NO{sub 2} and liquid water or water vapor. The NO{sub 2} (from oxidation of NO in the vapor space) concentrations were representative of those derived from the THOREX/PUREX mixing tests. It was concluded that no significant corrosion of the tank walls would be expected under the anticipated THOREX/PUREX mixing conditions if the exposure was short (<100 days).« less
  • This document provides information on the West Valley Demonstration Project (WVDP) reference HLW form and canister. The WVDP will solidify the liquid HLW remaining at the commercial nuclear fuel reprocessing plant at West Valley, New York. The reference waste form is borosilicate glass with a zeolite loading of 10 wt % and a waste sludge loading of 23 wt %. The glass formers that will be added to the waste during vitrification include Si, Al, B, and Na. Twenty-eight day and longer term leach tests show that the glass has adequate leach resistance. The room temperature density of the glassmore » is 2.7 g/cm/sup 3/. Glass viscosity is 100 poise at 1049/sup 0/C. Upper and lower linear expansion coefficients are 99.02 x 10/sup -6///sup 0/C and 10.76 x 10/sup -6///sup 0/C, respectively. The glass transition temperature is about 470/sup 0/C. The reference canister will be fabricated from stainless steel 304. The length will be 300 cm, and the diameter will be 61 cm. The canister wall will be sheet with a minimum thickness of 0.34 cm. The bottom will be a flanged and reverse dished head with a thickness of 0.48 cm; the top will be an ASME flanged and dished head. The lifting flange will be fabricated from square bar. Each canister will be uniquely labeled on the shoulder and side of the canister. The maximum gamma dose rate of an average canistered waste form at time of production is expected to be 8500 R/h. Canistered waste standing in 25/sup 0/C air will have a centerline temperature of less than 45/sup 0/C. The weight of a 100% full glass filled canister will be 2480 kg. 9 refs., 8 figs., 23 tabs.« less
  • This Appendix contains the preconceptual design drawings prepared by Vitro Engineering Corporation for Pacific Northwest Laboratory. The following types of drawings are included in this Appendix: process flow diagrams; process and instrumentation diagrams; hydraulic diagrams; equipment arrangement drawings; service gallery drawings; electric power one-line diagram; equipment line lists; and outline specifications. The basic purpose of these drawings was to determine the feasibility of installing the reference solidification process in existing cells at the Western New York Nuclear Service Center. Most of the process and vitrification equipment will be installed in the former Chemical Processing Cell, while the salt solidification equipmentmore » will be housed in the former Scrap Removal Room. The design utilized a remote maintenance and operation concept.« less