MELTING OF FERRITIC STEEL ARISING FROM THE DISMANTLING OF THE G2/G3 REACTORS AT MARCOULE IN A FURNACE INSTALLED AT THE DISMANTLING SITE

Objective

In 2 foregoing EC R&D decommissioning programmes, a series of research contracts had been devoted to melting of metallic radwaste, mainly steel, going from laboratory scale to applications in adapted foundries, treating waste transported from the dismantling site to the melting facility.

The objective of the present contract is to conceive, manufacture and install a 15 t electric arc heated melting furnace on the dismantling site of the G2/G3 graphite/gas reactors at Marcoule, and to condition by melting 700 t (out of a total of 4,000 t) of ferritic steel having a specific contamination in the order of 20 to 40 Bq/square cm.

The innovation lies mainly in the on-site installation of the furnace, avoiding packaging and transportation on public roads and in the large dimensions of the furnace (2 m), enabling feeding of pieces up to 1.7 m and reducing segmenting work. This should lead to economics by reducing the number of operations and by an optimized management of waste streams, enabling to a large extent unlimited recycling of steel.

In particular, the generation of specific data on costs, working hours and job doses as well as on the amount of created secondary waste is considered as an important objective of this project.
The objective of the present contract is to conceive, manufacture and install a 15 t electric arc heated melting furnace on the dismantling site of the G2/G3 graphite/gas reactors at Marcoule, and to condition by melting 700 t of ferritic steel.

After conceptional studies were carried out, the melting installation has been installed inside the G3 reactor building. Inactive testing has been carried out and will be followed by real tests with active scrap.
WORK PROGRAMME

1. Conceptual studies and categorization of waste

1.1. Studies for the installation of the melting furnace in the reactor building.
1.2. Investigation into the management of waste streams before and after melting.

2. Manufacturing, installation and testing of equipment

2.1. Manufacturing and installation of equipment including auxiliary and control systems.
2.2. Commissioning testing of the melting facility.

3. Main operation for the melting of 700 t of dismantled steel

4. Generation of specific data on costs, radioactive job doses, working time and secondary waste arisings, derived from the execution of items 1, 2 and 3.

Fields of science

• engineering and technology › environmental engineering › waste management › waste treatment processes › recycling
• engineering and technology › electrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineering › electronic engineering › control systems
• social sciences › economics and business › economics

Programme(s)

• FP2-DECOM 3C - Specific research and technological development programme (Euratom) in the field of decommissioning of nuclear installations, 1989-1993

Topic(s)

• C2 - Alternative tests

Call for proposal

Data not available

Funding Scheme

CSC - Cost-sharing contracts

Coordinator

Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique (CEA)

Address

Centre D'études Nucléaires De La Vallée Du Rhône Cité De Marcoule
30205 Bagnols-sur-cèze
France

Links

Participants (1)

Aciéries du Haut Languedoc

France

Address

31200 Toulouse

Links