The OTD Robotics Waste Minimization Program

Conference · Wed Apr 01 00:00:00 EST 1992

OSTI ID:10165066

Couture, S A

The danger to human health and safety posed by exposure to transuranic (TRU) and Pu contaminated materials necessitates remote processing in confined environments. Currently these operations are carried out in gloveboxes and hot-cells by human operators using lead- lined gloves or teleoperated manipulators. Protective clothing worn by operators during gloved operations has contributed significantly to the waste problems currently facing site remediators. The DOE Environmental Restoration and Waste Management (ER/WM) Program is in the process of developing and demonstrating technologies to assist in the remediation of sites that have accumulated wastes generated using these processes over the past five decades. Recognizing that continued use of existing production, recovery and waste treatment systems will compound the remediation problem, DOE has made a commitment to waste minimization. To reduce waste generation during weapons production and waste processing operations, automated processes are being developed and demonstrated for use in future DOE processing facilities as part of OTD`s Robotics Technology Development Program. These technologies are currently being applied to pyrochemical processing systems to demonstrate conversion of plutonium oxide to metal. However, these technologies are expected to have applications in a variety of waste processing systems including those used to treat high-level tank wastes, buried wastes requiring remote processing, mixed wastes, and unknown hazardous materials. In addition to reducing the future waste burden of DOE, automated processes are an effective way to comply with existing and anticipated federal, state, and local regulations related to personal health and safety and the health of the environment.

• Research Organization: Lawrence Livermore National Lab., CA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-48
• OSTI ID: 10165066
• Report Number(s): UCRL-JC-110456; CONF-920417-5; ON: DE92018010
• Resource Relation: Conference: ANS executive conference on remote operations and robotics in the nuclear industry II,Pine Mountain, GA (United States),5-8 Apr 1992; Other Information: PBD: Apr 1992
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
42 ENGINEERING
ALPHA-BEARING WASTES
REMOTE HANDLING
MINIMIZATION
RADIOACTIVE WASTE FACILITIES
REMEDIAL ACTION
MATERIALS HANDLING
PROTECTIVE CLOTHING
SOLID WASTES
ROBOTS
GLOVEBOXES
HOT CELLS
DEMONSTRATION PROGRAMS
052002
054000
420203
WASTE DISPOSAL AND STORAGE
HEALTH AND SAFETY
HANDLING EQUIPMENT AND PROCEDURES