The Innovations, Technology and Waste Management Approaches to Safely Package and Transport the World's First Radioactive Fusion Research Reactor for Burial
Authors: Keith Rule, Erik Perry, Jim Chrzanowski, Mike Viola, and Ron Strykowsky
Date of PPPL Report: September 2003
Presented at: the Ninth International Conference on Environmental Remediation and Radioactive Waste Management (ICEM '03), 21-25 September 2003, Oxford, England.
Original estimates stated that the amount of radioactive waste that would be generated during the dismantling of the Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor would approach two million kilograms with an associated volume of 2,500 cubic meters. The materials were activated by 14 MeV neutrons and were highly contaminated with tritium, which presented unique challenges to maintain integrity during packaging and transportation. In addition, the majority of this material was stainless steel and copper structural metal that were specifically designed and manufactured for this one-of-a-kind fusion research reactor. This provided further complexity in planning and managing the waste.
We will discuss the engineering concepts, innovative practices, and technologies that were utilized to size reduce, stabilize, and package the many unique and complex components of this reactor. This waste was packaged and shipped in many different configurations and methods according to the transportation regulations and disposal facility requirements. For this particular project, we were able to utilize two separate disposal facilities for burial. This paper will conclude with a complete summary of the actual results of the waste management costs, volumes, and best practices that were developed from this groundbreaking and successful project.