The 13th International Conference on Environmental ... - Events

Abstracts
6) 40275 – Next Generation Waste Glass Melters in the U.S. DOE Waste Processing Program
Steven P. Schneider, Gary Smith, US DOE (USA)
<strong>The</strong> USA Department of Energy (U.S. DOE) Office of Environmental Management (EM) is evaluating alternative
options for waste glass melting technologies. Specifically, DOEEM is assessing advanced melter technologies and
developing a comprehensive research plan for next generation waste glass melter design and demonstration. Resolution
of the USA nuclear waste legacy requires the design, construction and operation of large and technically complex
one-of-a-kind processing facilities coupled to equally complex waste treatment and vitrification facilities. <strong>The</strong> loading of
nuclear waste into glass and the glass production rates at U.S. vitrification facilities are limited by the current melter
technology. Significant reductions in glass volumes for disposal and mission life are only possible with advancements in
melter technology and glass formulations. Melters with higher throughput rate may shorten cleanup mission, in addition
melters that allow for higher waste loading in glass may significantly reduce lifecycle costs.
To help focus the next generation waste glass melter program, DOE-EM convened an international workshop to
assess nuclear waste melter technologies and have used the melter workshop to help develop a comprehensive research
plan for melter design and demonstration. <strong>The</strong> workshop included both oral presentations and discussion sessions from
waste glass melter experts from around the world to assess the "state of the art" in melter technology and to lay the
groundwork for a program plan that includes evolutionary changes to existing Joule-heated ceramic-lined liquid fed
melters, as well as transformational melter technologies such as induction and hybrid-heated systems. At that workshop,
representatives from many nations and international organizations (IAEA, China, France, Germany, India, Japan, Korea,
Russia, UK, and the USA), universities (Catholic University of America, Missouri University of Science and
Technology), and private companies (EnergySolutions, Kurion, URS) met to assess advanced melter technologies which
helped the U.S. develop a comprehensive research plan for advanced waste glass melter design and demonstration with
the goal of improved performance and reduced cost. <strong>The</strong> U.S. DOE Next Generation Waste Glass Melter Program is
discussed in this paper.
SESSION L2: Solidification and Package (1)
1) 40021 – Commercialization Project of Ulchin Vitrification�
Hyun-jun Jo, Cheon-Woo Kim, KHNP (Korea Rep.);
Tae-Won Hwang, Nuclear Engineering & Technology Institure (Korea Rep.)
<strong>The</strong> Ulchin Vitrification Facility (UVF), to be used for the vitirification of low-and intermediate-level radioactive
waste (LILW) generated by nuclear power plants (NPPs), is the world’s first commercial facility using Cold Crucible
Induction Melter (CCIM) technology. <strong>The</strong> construction of the facility was begun in 2005 and was completed in 2007.
From December 2007 to September 2009, all key performance tests, such as the system functional test, the cold test, the
hot test, and the real waste test, were successfully carried out. <strong>The</strong> UVF commenced commercial operation in October
2009 for the vitrification of radioactive waste.
2) 40023 – Plasma Gasification/Vitrification of Wet ILW
Gary Hanus, John Williams, Matt Zirbes, Phoenix Solutions Co. (USA)
Magnox South Ltd has authorized a variety of decommissioning programmes to evaluate various technologies for
timely and cost-effective remediation of a spectrum of waste streams resulting from the operation of their reactors. Of
particular current interest is wet, intermediate level waste (ILW) in the form of solids, sludges and liquids. Hinkley Point
A has over 137,000 litres of ILW organic cation resin containing significant quantities of radio-cesium (Cs). In 2009
Phoenix Solutions Co was awarded a contract by Magnox South Ltd to demonstrate the effectiveness of thermal plasma
treatment of this wet ILW resin waste stream.
<strong>The</strong> objective of the wet ILW plasma treatment project was to feed organic resin sludge (containing a cesium
surrogate) and a borosilicate glass frit simultaneously into a thermal plasma reactor to demonstrate the gasification of the
organic content of the resin while capturing the cesium within a molten glass bath. A total of approximately 200 litres of
glass product were produced. Approximately 5 metric tonnes of organic resin simulant were provided to Phoenix
Solutions Co consisting of a mixture of 68% water / NaOH solution, 30% organic cation resin material with bound Cs
and 2% other, including a small proportion of cesium in solution. <strong>The</strong> off-gas species from the plasma reactor exhaust
were sampled by an independent, qualified sampling organization focusing on VOCs, HCl, NOx, SOx, CO, CO2, dioxins
and furans as well as particulate levels. Glass samples were obtained and analyzed for crystalline inclusions, elemental
identification, and viscosity characteristics at temperatures near the process melt conditions. <strong>The</strong> process temperature was
maintained near 1000 ºC while the molten glass bath was held between 1100 and 1200 ºC. <strong>The</strong> processing produced 200
litres of glass, 150 litres of which were successfully tapped from the plasma reactor into a standard Sellafield vitrified
HLW disposal canister.
This paper will describe the basic waste processing approach, the process hardware utilized, the process control
features and the test results. Several trial tests were conducted, the longest of which processed over 2 metric tonnes of
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