Oak Ridge Reservation Department of Energy Facilities: Waste Management Challenges and Success Stories Focusing on Waste Minimization

2003 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angie Brill ◽  
Jeff Scott ◽  
John Patterson
Keyword(s):  
Waste Management ◽  
Decision Process ◽  
National Laboratory ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Department Of Energy ◽  
Waste Minimization ◽  
Oak Ridge ◽  
Critical Elements ◽  
Success Stories ◽  
Process Waste

Waste generation and disposition is a challenge all face in the environmental restoration business. Over the past three years Safety and Ecology Corporation (SEC) working with Bechtel Jacobs Company, LLC (BJC) the Management and Integration subcontractor for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) have been able to minimize the volume of waste (mixed, hazardous, and radiological) that is disposed of and increased the volume for release, reuse, and recycle. This paper will focus on the success and challenges of several projects at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and one project at the East Tennessee Technology Park (ETTP). SEC is one of four Remedial Action/Decontamination & Decommissioning (RADD) subcontractors selected by BJC to support site clean up goals. Several of these RADD projects awarded to SEC will be used to illustrate the waste management process and the challenges/successes to completion. All these projects were “fixed price” with defined milestones keyed into award fee for BJC and regulatory milestones for DOE. From the first project completed under the RADD subcontract to the most recent the waste disposition approach has been refined and a decision process developed. This decision process will be discussed in the paper and illustrated graphically to indicate the critical elements to selecting the most appropriate waste disposition option. This paper will focus on the following items associated with waste minimization efforts at the Oak Ridge Reservation DOE facilities. • Waste disposition decision process. • Waste disposition options — recycle, reuse, salvage, and disposal. • Elements of integration required for successful pre-planning — design and implementation. • Waste disposition challenges and solutions. • Decontamination to reduce mixed waste volumes. Release surveys required to disposition waste for reuse/recycle. • Lessons learned that will be integrated in future projects.

Advanced Research and Technology Development Fossil Energy Materials Program

1988 ◽  
Vol 110 (4) ◽  
pp. 670-676
Author(s):  
R. R. Judkins ◽  
R. A. Bradley
Keyword(s):  
Technology Development ◽  
National Laboratory ◽  
Development Program ◽  
Ceramic Composites ◽  
Department Of Energy ◽  
Energy Materials ◽  
Alloy Development ◽  
Fossil Energy ◽  
Oak Ridge ◽  
Research Activities

The Advanced Research and Technology Development (AR&TD) Fossil Energy Materials Program is a multifaceted materials research and development program sponsored by the Office of Fossil Energy of the U.S. Department of Energy. The program is administered by the Office of Technical Coordination. In 1979, the Office of Fossil Energy assigned responsibilities for this program to the DOE Oak Ridge Operations Office (ORO) as the lead field office and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) as the lead national laboratory. Technical activities on the program are divided into three research thrust areas: structural ceramic composites, alloy development and mechanical properties, and corrosion and erosion of alloys. In addition, assessments and technology transfer are included in a fourth thrust area. This paper provides information on the structure of the program and summarizes some of the major research activities.

Development of Testing Methodologies for Onsite Radioactive Material Storage Containers

2008 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew R. Feldman
Keyword(s):  
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory ◽  
National Laboratory ◽  
Nuclear Material ◽  
Department Of Energy ◽  
Radioactive Material ◽  
Development Effort ◽  
Nuclear Facilities ◽  
Los Alamos National Laboratory ◽  
Oak Ridge ◽  
Transportation Technologies

Based on a recommendation from the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board, the Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Nuclear Safety Policy and Assistance (HS-21) has recently issued DOE Manual 441.1-1 entitled Nuclear Material Packaging Manual. This manual provides guidance regarding the use of non-engineered storage media for all special nuclear material throughout the DOE complex. As part of this development effort, HS-21 has funded the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) Transportation Technologies Group (TTG) to develop and demonstrate testing protocols for such onsite containers. ORNL TTG to date has performed preliminary tests of representative onsite containers from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and Los Alamos National Laboratory. This paper will describe the testing processes that have been developed.

Modeling Shock and Vibration on Used Nuclear Fuel During Normal Conditions of Transportation

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicholas Klymyshyn ◽  
Pavlo Ivanusa ◽  
Kevin Kadooka ◽  
Casey Spitz
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Fuel ◽  
Numerical Models ◽  
National Laboratory ◽  
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory ◽  
The United States ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Department Of Energy ◽  
United States Department ◽  
Fuel Cladding ◽  
Used Nuclear Fuel

Abstract In 2017, the United States Department of Energy (DOE) collaborated with Spanish and Korean organizations to perform a multimodal transportation test to measure shock and vibration loads imparted to used nuclear fuel (UNF) assemblies. This test used real fuel assembly components containing surrogate fuel mass to approximate the response characteristics of real, irradiated used nuclear fuel. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory was part of the test team and used the data collected during this test to validate numerical models needed to predict the response of real used nuclear fuel in other transportation configurations. This paper summarizes the modeling work and identifies lessons learned related to the modeling and analysis methodology. The modeling includes railcar dynamics using the NUCARS software code and explicit dynamic finite element modeling of used nuclear fuel cladding in LS-DYNA. The NUCARS models were validated against railcar dynamics data collected during captive track testing at the Federal Railroad Administration’s Transportation Technology Center in Pueblo, CO. The LS-DYNA models of the fuel cladding were validated against strain gage data collected throughout the test campaign. One of the key results of this work was an assessment of fuel cladding fatigue, and the methods used to calculate fatigue are detailed in this paper. The validated models and analysis methodologies described in this paper will be applied to evaluate future UNF transportation systems.

scholarly journals Lessons Learned from Occurrences Involving Procedures at Los Alamos National Laboratory in 1994

1995 ◽  
Vol 39 (15) ◽  
pp. 1033-1037 ◽  
Author(s):  
Candace K. Frostenson
Keyword(s):  
Human Factors ◽  
National Laboratory ◽  
Processing System ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Department Of Energy ◽  
Near Miss ◽  
Alamos National Laboratory ◽  
Los Alamos ◽  
Los Alamos National Laboratory ◽  
One Year

This study used the Department of Energy (DOE) Occurrence Reporting and Processing System (ORPS) data to investigate occurrences reported during one year at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). ORPS provides a centralized database and computerized support for the collection, distribution, updating, analysis, and validation of information in occurrence reports about abnormal events related to facility operation. Human factors causes for occurrences are not always defined in ORPS. Content analysis of narrative data revealed that 33% of all LANL 1994 adverse operational events have human factors causes related to procedures. Procedure-caused occurrences that resulted in injury to workers, damage to facilities or equipment, or a near-miss are analyzed.

scholarly journals Conceptual Design of a MEDE Treatment System for Sodium Bonded Fuel

2008 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carl E. Baily ◽  
Karen A. Moore ◽  
Collin J. Knight ◽  
Peter B. Wells ◽  
Paul J. Petersen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Spent Nuclear Fuel ◽  
National Laboratory ◽  
Department Of Energy ◽  
Test Facility ◽  
Evaporation Chamber ◽  
Oak Ridge ◽  
Uranium Fuel ◽  
Fuel Assemblies ◽  
Metal Fuel ◽  
Enriched Uranium

Unirradiated sodium bonded metal fuel and casting scrap material containing highly enriched uranium (HEU) is stored at the Materials and Fuels Complex (MFC) on the Idaho National Laboratory (INL). This material, which includes intact fuel assemblies and elements from the Fast Flux Test Facility (FFTF) and Experimental Breeder Reactor-II (EBR-II) reactors, as well as scrap material from the casting of these fuels, has no current use under the terminated reactor programs for both facilities. The Department of Energy (DOE), under the Sodium-Bonded Spent Nuclear Fuel Treatment Record of Decision (ROD), has determined that this material could be prepared and transferred to an off-site facility for processing and eventual fabrication of fuel for commercial nuclear reactors. A plan is being developed to prepare, package, and transfer this material to the DOE HEU Disposition Program Office (HDPO), located at the Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Disposition of the sodium bonded material will require separating the elemental sodium from the metallic uranium fuel. A sodium distillation process known as MEDE (Melt-Drain-Evaporate), will be used for the separation process. The casting scrap material needs to be sorted to remove any foreign material or fines that are not acceptable to the HDPO program. Once all elements have been cut and loaded into baskets, they are then loaded into an evaporation chamber as the first step in the MEDE process. The chamber will be sealed and the pressure reduced to approximately 200 mtorr. The chamber will then be heated as high as 650 °C, causing the sodium to melt and then vaporize. The vapor phase sodium will be driven into an outlet line where it is condensed and drained into a receiver vessel. Once the evaporation operation is complete, the system is de-energized and returned to atmospheric pressure. This paper describes the MEDE process as well as a general overview of the furnace systems, as necessary, to complete the MEDE process.

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