Diamond Wire Cutting of the Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor

Rule, Keith; Perry, Erik; Parsells, Robert

doi:10.2172/811958

Title: Diamond Wire Cutting of the Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor

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Abstract

The Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor (TFTR) is a one-of-a-kind, tritium-fueled fusion research reactor that ceased operation in April 1997. As a result, decommissioning commenced in October 1999. The 100 cubic meter volume of the donut-shaped reactor makes it the second largest fusion reactor in the world. The deuterium-tritium experiments resulted in contaminating the vacuum vessel with tritium and activating the materials with 14 MeV neutrons. The total tritium content within the vessel is in excess of 7,000 Curies, while dose rates approach 50 mRem/hr. These radiological hazards along with the size of the tokamak present a unique and challenging task for dismantling. Engineers at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) decided to investigate an alternate, innovative approach for dismantlement of the TFTR vacuum vessel: diamond wire cutting technology. In August 1999, this technology was successfully demonstrated and evaluated on vacuum vessel surrogates. Subsequently, the technology was improved and redesigned for the actual cutting of the vacuum vessel. Ten complete cuts were performed in a 6-month period to complete the removal of this unprecedented type of D&D (Decontamination and Decommissioning) activity.

Authors:: Rule, Keith; Perry, Erik; Parsells, Robert

Publication Date:: Fri Jan 31 00:00:00 EST 2003

Research Org.:: Princeton Plasma Physics Lab. (PPPL), Princeton, NJ (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:: USDOE Office of Science (SC) (US)

OSTI Identifier:: 811958

Report Number(s):: PPPL-3776
TRN: US0303283

DOE Contract Number:: AC02-76CH03073

Resource Type:: Technical Report

Resource Relation:: Other Information: PBD: 31 Jan 2003

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

Subject:: 70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY; 22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS; 72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS; DECOMMISSIONING; DECONTAMINATION; DIAMONDS; DOSE RATES; NEUTRONS; PHYSICS; RESEARCH REACTORS; TFTR TOKAMAK; THERMONUCLEAR REACTORS; TRITIUM; COOLANTS; ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS; METALLURGY; METALS; METALS AND METALLURGY

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                    Rule, Keith, Perry, Erik, and Parsells, Robert. Diamond Wire Cutting of the Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor.  United States: N. p., 2003. 
        Web.  doi:10.2172/811958.

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                    Rule, Keith, Perry, Erik, & Parsells, Robert. Diamond Wire Cutting of the Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor.  United States.  https://doi.org/10.2172/811958

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                    Rule, Keith, Perry, Erik, and Parsells, Robert. 2003.  
        "Diamond Wire Cutting of the Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor".  United States.  https://doi.org/10.2172/811958.  https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/811958.

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@article{osti_811958,

  title        = {Diamond Wire Cutting of the Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor},

  author       = {Rule, Keith and Perry, Erik and Parsells, Robert},

  abstractNote = {The Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor (TFTR) is a one-of-a-kind, tritium-fueled fusion research reactor that ceased operation in April 1997. As a result, decommissioning commenced in October 1999. The 100 cubic meter volume of the donut-shaped reactor makes it the second largest fusion reactor in the world. The deuterium-tritium experiments resulted in contaminating the vacuum vessel with tritium and activating the materials with 14 MeV neutrons. The total tritium content within the vessel is in excess of 7,000 Curies, while dose rates approach 50 mRem/hr. These radiological hazards along with the size of the tokamak present a unique and challenging task for dismantling. Engineers at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) decided to investigate an alternate, innovative approach for dismantlement of the TFTR vacuum vessel: diamond wire cutting technology. In August 1999, this technology was successfully demonstrated and evaluated on vacuum vessel surrogates. Subsequently, the technology was improved and redesigned for the actual cutting of the vacuum vessel. Ten complete cuts were performed in a 6-month period to complete the removal of this unprecedented type of D&D (Decontamination and Decommissioning) activity.},

  doi          = {10.2172/811958},

  url          = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/811958},
  journal      = {},
number       = ,

  volume       = ,

  place        = {United States},

  year         = {Fri Jan 31 00:00:00 EST 2003},

  month        = {Fri Jan 31 00:00:00 EST 2003}

}

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