CONDITIONING OF FUEL HULLS AND STRUCTURAL MATERIALS BY HIGH PRESSURE COMPACTION

Obiettivo

IN THE KARLSRUHE REPROCESSING PLANT (WAK) THE LWR HULL AND STRUCTURAL MATERIAL WASTES (H + S WASTES) ARE EMBEDDED INTO CONCRETE IN 120 L INSERT DRUMS REDUCTION IN VOLUME, PACKAGED INTO 200 L HOOPED BARRELS AND TRANSFERRED TO AN INTERMEDIATE STORAGE FACILITY.
THE CONCEPT CHOSEN FOR CONDITIONING H + S WASTES FROM THE WACKERSDORF REPROCESSING PLANT (WAW) IS ANALOGOUS TO THE WAK PROCESS WITH THE DIFFERENCE THAT THE WASTE ARE EMBEDDED INTO CONCRETE IN 330 L INSERT DRUMS AND PACKAGED INTO 400 L BARRELS.
A DRAWBACK OF THIS METHOD IS THAT A RELATIVELY GREAT NUMBER OF BARRELS ARE PRODUCED AND THAT SUFFICIENT SPACE MUST BE PROVIDED FOR INTERMEDIATE AND UTLIMATE STORAGE. LIKE WISE, THE RELEASE OF GASEOUS ACTIVITIES AND H, FROM THE WASTE FIXED INTO CONCRETE DURING OPERATION OF THE REPOSITORY MIGHT BE ASSOCIATED WITH DRAWBACK.
KIFK HAS BEEN DEVELOPING AND ALTERNATIVE CONDITIONING METHOD ACCORDING TO WHICH THE WASTE IS COMPACTED BY COLD PRESSING AND CAN BE PACKAGE INTO HLW CANISTERS WITHOUT MATRIX.
The release of radiolytic hydrogen and volatile fission products (krypton-85) was identified to be a substantial safety problem when using hulls as a cementation waste form in geological disposal. Safety and economic arguments provided the incentives for the development of a compacted waste form which can be charged in high level waste (HLW) containers to enable the joint disposal of HLW and heat producing medium level waste (MLW) in salt boreholes. Compaction and charging of the pellets in modified COGEMA HLW containers was chosen as the most promising alternative.
The main objectives of the investigations were the development of the production technique and planning for the remote control of the process equipment. Inactive bulks of hulls and structural material components were compacted using a maximum axial pressure load of about 300 MPa. The final product density, as function of the press force, was experimentally determinated. The mechanical loads of the press and the tools were estimated and these estimates served as basis for equipment design.
The report also details the relevent radiological data of the alternative products. It is shown that cobalt-60 dominates the radioactivity of the final product.
2.3.1. INACTIVE INVESTIGATIONS OF THE BEHAVIOUR OF HULLS UNDER HIGH PRESSURE ON A LABORATORY SCALE.
2.3.2. INACTIVE INVESTIGATIONS OF THE BEHAVIOUR OF HULLS UNDER HIGH PRESSURE IN TECHNICAL SCALE.
2.3.3. DETERMINATION OF THE SURFACE OF INACTIVE COMPACTS AS A FUNCTION OF THE COMPACTING PRESSURE.
2.3.4. CORROSION BEHAVIOUR OF INACTIVE HULLS IN Q-BRINE AT 90 CELSIUSDEGREE.
2.3.5. DESIGN AND MANUFACTURE OF PRESS-DIES AND PRESS-PUNCHES AS PROTOTYPE TOOLS.
2.3.6. CONCEPTUAL DESIGN OF A PRESS FACILITY FOR ACTIVE H + S WASTE COMPACTING.

Campo scientifico

Programma(i)

FP1-RADWASTOM 3C - Research and development programme (Euratom) on the management and storage of radioactive waste, 1985-1989

Argomento(i)

Data not available

Invito a presentare proposte

Data not available

Meccanismo di finanziamento

CSC - Cost-sharing contracts

Coordinatore

Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe Technik und Umwelt GmbH

Contributo UE

Nessun dato

Indirizzo

76021 Karlsruhe
Germania

Costo totale