Remote material handling in the Plutonium Immobilization Project. Revision 1

Conference · Mon Mar 13 00:00:00 EST 2000

OSTI ID:752504

Brault, J R

With the downsizing of the US and Russian nuclear stockpiles, large quantities of weapons-usable plutonium in the US are being declared excess and will be disposed of by the Department of Energy Fissile Materials Disposition Program. To implement this program, DOE has selected the Savannah River Site (SRS) for the construction and operation of three new facilities: pit disassembly and conversion; mixed oxide fuel fabrication; and plutonium immobilization. The Plutonium Immobilization Project (PIP) will immobilize a portion of the excess plutonium in a hybrid ceramic and glass form containing high level waste for eventual disposal in a geologic repository. The PIP is divided into three distinct operating areas: Plutonium Conversion, First Stage Immobilization, and Second Stage Immobilization. Processing technology for the PIP is being developed jointly by the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and Westinghouse Savannah River Company. This paper will discuss development of the automated unpacking and sorting operations in the conversion area, and the automated puck and tray handling operations in the first stage immobilization area. Due to the high radiation levels and toxicity of the materials to be disposed of, the PIP will utilize automated equipment in a contained (glovebox) facility. Most operations involving plutonium-bearing materials will be performed remotely, separating personnel from the radiation source. Source term materials will be removed from the operations during maintenance. Maintenance will then be performed hands on within the containment using glove ports.

• Research Organization: Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: US Department of Energy (US)
• DOE Contract Number: AC09-96SR18500
• OSTI ID: 752504
• Report Number(s): WSRC-TR-2000-00051/Rev.1; TRN: US0401608
• Resource Relation: Conference: American Nuclear Society Annual Meeting, San Diego, CA (US), 06/04/2000--06/08/2000; Other Information: PBD: 13 Mar 2000; PBD: 13 Mar 2000
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE WASTES, AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
CERAMICS
CONTAINMENT
FABRICATION
FISSILE MATERIALS
GLASS
GLOVES
MAINTENANCE
MIXED OXIDE FUELS
RADIATION SOURCES
RADIATIONS
SOURCE TERMS
STOCKPILES
TOXICITY
WASTES
SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT
RADIOACTIVE WASTE FACILITIES
REMOTE HANDLING
PLUTONIUM
REMOTE HANDLING EQUIPMENT
UNLOADING
SORTING
VITRIFICATION
RADIOACTIVE WASTE PROCESSING