DOE 2000. - Waste Isolation Pilot Plant - U.S. Department of Energy

WIPP RH PSAR DOE/WIPP-03-3174 CHAPTER 4
When the facility cask has been rotated to the vertical position, the telescoping port shield, mounted in
the floor of the Facility Cask Loading Room, is raised to mate with the facility cask bottom shield valve
body. The Facility Cask Loading Room 6.25-ton grapple hoist is lowered so that the shield bell is in
contact with the facility cask top shield valve body. With the shield bell and the telescoping port shield
in contact with the facility cask, a totally shielded volume is formed to allow the safe transfer of a facility
canister from the shielded insert into the facility cask.
The top facility cask shield valve is opened, the Transfer Cell ceiling shield valve is opened, then the
bottom facility cask shield valve is opened and the facility grapple, attached to the 6.25-ton grapple
hoist, is lowered through the facility cask into the Transfer Cell. (Note: the Transfer Cell ceiling shield
valve and both facility cask shield valves are interlocked so that the facility cask bottom shield cannot be
opened unless the Transfer Cell ceiling shield valve is opened and the Transfer Cell ceiling shield valve
cannot be closed unless the facility cask bottom shield valve is closed) The facility grapple engages the
facility canister pintle and lifts the facility canister from the shielded insert. The facility canister is lifted
inside the facility cask. The bottom shield valve of the facility cask is closed, the Transfer Cell ceiling
shield valve is closed, and the facility grapple lowers the facility canister so that it is resting on the gate
of the bottom shield valve. The facility grapple disengages from the facility canister pintle and is lifted
into the bell shield, then the facility cask top shield valve is closed. The bell shield is then lifted away
from the facility cask and the telescoping port shield is lowered. The facility cask is rotated to the
horizontal position. The Facility Cask Loading Room shield door is opened.
4.3.4 Waste Shaft Entry Room
In the waste shaft entry room with the waste hoist cage properly positioned, the shaft gates are opened,
the pivot rails are positioned, and the facility cask transfer car transports the facility cask onto the waste
hoist conveyance. The Facility Cask Loading Room shield doors are closed. The waste hoist
conveyance is lowered to the disposal horizon. The facility cask transfer car moves the facility cask from
the hoist conveyance into the underground transfer area shown on Figure 4.3-2.
4.3.5 Underground Transfer Area
When the waste shaft conveyance has stopped at the disposal horizon, the shaft gates are opened, the
pivot rails are positioned, power cable connected, and the facility cask transfer car moves from the
conveyance (Figure 4.3-4) into the transfer area (E-140). The 41-ton forklift forks are inserted into the
lower set of forklift pockets of the facility cask and lifts the facility cask from the facility cask transfer
car. The forklift lowers the facility cask and transports it to the disposal location at a speed of
approximately 3 to 4 mi (4.8 to 6.4 km) per hour.
4.3.6 RH TRU Waste Disposal
At the RH waste disposal location, the 41 ton forklift places the facility cask on the waste transfer
machine, which will have been previously aligned with the horizontal borehole (Figure 4.2-26). The
facility cask is moved forward to mate with the shield collar and the transfer carriage is advanced to mate
with the rear facility cask shield valve. Both facility cask shield valves are opened and the transfer
mechanism extends to push the canister into the hole (Figure 4.3-5). After retracting the transfer
mechanism into the facility cask, the forward shield valve is closed, and the transfer mechanism is further
retracted into its housing. A forklift using the strongback positions a shield plug (Figure 4.2-28) on the
shield plug carriage. The transfer carriage is moved to the rear about 6.5 ft (2 m) and a 6-ton forklift
places the shield plug carriage (Figure 4.2-25) on the staging platform. The transfer mechanism pushes
4.3-6 January 28, 2003