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DECONTAMINATION AND REMOTE DISMANTLING TESTS IN THE ITREC REPROCESSING PILOT PLANT

Objectif

THE ITREC PLANT WAS ORIGINALLY CONCEIVED AND BUILT AS AN INTEGRATED UNIT FOR REPROCESSING AND REFABRICATION OF FUEL ELEMENTS.FUEL ELEMENTS CONTAINING URANIUM AND THORIUM ARE PROCESSED WITHOUT SEPARATION OF THE FISSION PRODUCTS.MOREOVER,THE PROCESSED MATERIAL CONTAINS TH-228,A STRONG GAMMA EMITTER.THE REFABRICATION IS,THEREFORE,CARRIED OUT IN A CELL FITTED WITH ADEQUATE SHIELDING,USING REMOTE-OPERATED EQUIPMENT AND TECHNIQUES.ALL EQUIPMENT BELONGING TO THE MAIN CHEMICAL PROCESSIS INSTALLED IN MODULAR UNITS,WHICH PROVIDE FOR REMOTE-CONTROLLED REMOVAL AFTER APPROPRIATE DECONTAMINATION OF THE INDIVIDUAL UNIT (RACK) FOR MAINTENANCE AND MODIFICATION OF EQUIPMENT (RACK REMOVAL SYSTEM).
THIS SYSTEM ALLOWS THE REMOTE TRANSFER OF PROCESS EQUIPMENT FROM THE HOT CELL TO THE DECONTAMINATION CELL AND ITS DECONTAMINATION TO LEVELS LOW ENOUGH TO PERMIT SAFE ACCESS FOR THE WORKERS OF MAINTENANCE OPERATIONS.
THE ITREC PLANT HAS BEEN OPERATED UNDER HOT CONDITIONS FROM 1975 TO 1979.THE SCOPE OF THIS RESEARCH IS TO EVALUATE THE ADVANTAGES OF THE RACK REMOVAL SYSTEM IN THE DISMANTLING OF REPROCESSING INSTALLATIONS.
THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS WORK IS TO VERIFY EXPERIMENTALLY THE POSSIBILITYOF THE DECONTAMINATION OF ANY PARTICULAR MODULE AND THE CAPABILITY OF THE REMOTE DISMANTLING OF COMPONENTS INSTALLED IN THE MOBILE RACK.IN PARTICULAR, THE MAIN OBJECTIVE IS TO DEVELOP REMOTELY OPERATED EQUIPMENT FOR THE DISMANTLING OF CENTRIFUGAL CONTACTORS.
The advantages of the rack removal system for the dismantling of nuclear reprocessing installations were assessed. Experiments were carried out to verify the feasibility of decontaminating modules remotely and dismantling components, installed in a mobile rack, with particular reference to centrifugal contractors. Decontamination procedures reduced the level of radioactivity from high to low. Mechanisms cutting techniques proved successful.
B.1. DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF CUTTING EQUIPMENT FOR DISMANTLING THE CENTRIFUGAL CONTACTORS OF RACK 6 BITS IN THE ITREC PLANT.

B.2. EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL DECONTAMINATION OF RACK 6 OR 6 BIS,WITH A FIRST OPERATION IN THE HOT CELL,FOLLOWED BY COMPLETE CLEANING IN THE DECONTAMINATION CELL.

B.3. TESTING OF DISMANTLING BY REMOTE CUTTING OF THE CENTRIFUGAL CONTACTORS WITH THE HIGHEST CONTAMINATION.

B.4. DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF A STORAGE CONTAINER FOR THE CONDITIONED DISMANTLED CENTRIFUGAL CONTACTORS.

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Régime de financement

CSC - Cost-sharing contracts

Coordinateur

Ente per le Nuove Tecnologie l'Energia e l'Ambiente (ENEA)
Contribution de l’UE
Aucune donnée
Adresse
Strada Statale Jonica 106 KM.419
75026 Rotondella Matera
Italie

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