Cold Crucible Induction Melter Testing at The Idaho National Laboratory for the Advanced Remediation Technologies Program
AREVA Federal Services (AFS) is performing a multi-year, multi-phase Advanced Remediation Technologies (ART) project, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), to evaluate the feasibility and benefits of replacing the existing joule-heated melter (JHM) used to treat high level waste (HLW) in the Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF) at the Savannah River Site with a cold crucible induction melter (CCIM). The AFS ART CCIM project includes several collaborators from AREVA subsidiaries, French companies, and DOE national laboratories. The Savannah River National Laboratory and the Commissariat a l’Energie Atomique (CEA) have performed laboratory-scale studies and testing to determine a suitable, high-waste-loading glass matrix. The Idaho National Laboratory (INL) and CEA are performing CCIM demonstrations at two different pilot scales to assess CCIM design and operation for treating SRS sludge wastes that are currently being treated in the DWPF. SGN is performing engineering studies to validate the feasibility of retrofitting CCIM technology into the DWPF Melter Cell. The long-term project plan includes more lab-testing, pilot- and large-scale demonstrations, and engineering activities to be performed during subsequent project phases. This paper provides preliminary results of tests using the engineering-scale CCIM test system located at the INL. The CCIM test system was operated continuously over a time period of about 58 hours. As the DWPF simulant feed was continuously fed to the melter, the glass level gradually increased until a portion of the molten glass was drained from the melter. The glass drain was operated semi-continuously because the glass drain rate was higher than the glass feedrate. A cold cap of unmelted feed was controlled by adjusting the feedrate and melter power levels to obtain the target molten glass temperatures with varying cold cap levels. Three test conditions were performed per the test plan, during which the melter was operated with a target melt temperature of either 1,250oC or 1,300oC, and with either a partial or complete cold cap of unmelted feed on top of the molten glass. Samples of all input and output streams were collected for analysis. Laboratory analyses and mass balances will be used to determine the fate of feed constituents, especially Cs. The melter off-gas composition was measured at the melter outlet duct. Sample analyses are still in progress; but preliminary conclusions are possible using the continuous emissions monitoring system (CEMS) data. The concentrations of CO2, CO, CH4, total hydrocarbons (THC), and NOx increased with increasing feedrate of the feed containing water, nitrates, and formate. Over 90% of the formate (a reductant used in the simulant feed) was converted to CO2 and water vapor. Under 6-9% of the H in the formate converted to H2, and under 1% of the formate decomposed to gaseous hydrocarbons. This small degree of formate conversion to potentially flammable off-gas species reduces off-gas flammability concerns. About 36-61% of the NOx in the off-gas (evolved from nitrites and nitrates in the feed) was destroyed.
- Research Organization:
- Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- DOE Contract Number:
- DE-AC07-99ID-13727
- OSTI ID:
- 952019
- Report Number(s):
- INL/CON-09-15239; TRN: US0902380
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Waste Management 2009,Phoenix, AZ,03/01/2009,03/05/2009
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
CRUCIBLES
FLAMMABILITY
FORMATES
GLASS
HYDROCARBONS
INDUCTION
MASS BALANCE
MONITORING
NITRATES
NITRITES
RETROFITTING
SLUDGES
TARGETS
TESTING
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTE PROCESSING
WATER
WATER VAPOR
CCIM
cold crucible induction melter
vitrification