Vitrification of waste with conitnuous filling and sequential melting

Patent · Tue Sep 04 00:00:00 EDT 2001

OSTI ID:873961

Powell, James R ^[1]; Reich, Morris ^[2]

---

1. Shoreham, NY
2. Kew Gardens Hills, NY

A method of filling a canister with vitrified waste starting with a waste, such as high-level radioactive waste, that is cooler than its melting point. Waste is added incrementally to a canister forming a column of waste capable of being separated into an upper zone and a lower zone. The minimum height of the column is defined such that the waste in the lower zone can be dried and melted while maintaining the waste in the upper zone below its melting point. The maximum height of the column is such that the upper zone remains porous enough to permit evolved gases from the lower zone to flow through the upper zone and out of the canister. Heat is applied to the waste in the lower zone to first dry then to raise and maintain its temperature to a target temperature above the melting point of the waste. Then the heat is applied to a new lower zone above the melted waste and the process of adding, drying and melting the waste continues upward in the canister until the entire canister is filled and the entire contents are melted and maintained at the target temperature for the desired period. Cooling of the melted waste takes place incrementally from the bottom of the canister to the top, or across the entire canister surface area, forming a vitrified product.

• Research Organization: RADIOACTIVE ISOLATION CONSORT
• DOE Contract Number: AC26-98FT40450
• Assignee: Radioactive Isolation Consortium, LLC (Falls Church, VA)
• Patent Number(s): US 6283908
• Application Number: 09/564,774
• OSTI ID: 873961
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

vitrification
waste
conitnuous
filling
sequential
melting
method
canister
vitrified
starting
high-level
radioactive
cooler
added
incrementally
forming
column
capable
separated
upper
zone
minimum
height
defined
dried
melted
maintaining
below
maximum
remains
porous
permit
evolved
gases
flow
heat
applied
dry
raise
maintain
temperature
target
process
adding
drying
continues
upward
entire
filled
contents
maintained
desired
period
cooling
takes
bottom
top
surface
product
high-level radioactive
upper zone
radioactive waste
level radioactive
target temperature
evolved gases
waste starting
/588/