Decommissioning Activities for Salaspils Research Reactor

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Abramenkovs ◽  
J. Malnacs
Keyword(s):  
Radioactive Waste ◽  
Research Reactor ◽  
Legal Aspects ◽  
Radioactive Wastes ◽  
Measurement Equipment ◽  
Radiation Measurement ◽  
Spent Fuel ◽  
Nuclear Facility ◽  
Radioactive Materials ◽  
Conceptual Study

In May 1995, the Latvian government decided to shut down the Salaspils Research Reactor (SRR). The reactor is out of operation since July 1998. A conceptual study for the decommissioning of SRR has been carried out by Noell-KRC-Energie- und Umwelttechnik GmbH at 1998–1999. The Latvian government decided to start the direct dismantling to “green field” in October 26, 1999. The upgrade of decommissioning and dismantling plan was performed in 2003–2004 years, which change the main goal of decommissioning to the “brown field”. The paper deals with the SRR decommissioning experience during 1999–2010. The main decommissioning stages are discussed including spent fuel and radioactive wastes management. The legal aspects and procedures for decommissioning of SRR are described in the paper. It was found, that the involvement of stakeholders at the early stages significantly promotes the decommissioning of nuclear facility. Radioactive waste management’s main efforts were devoted to collecting and conditioning of “historical” radioactive wastes from different storages outside and inside of reactor hall. All radioactive materials (more than 96 tons) were conditioned in concrete containers for disposal in the radioactive wastes repository “Radons” at Baldone site. The dismantling of contaminated and activated components of SRR systems is discussed in paper. The cementation of dismantled radioactive wastes in concrete containers is discussed. Infrastructure of SRR, including personal protective and radiation measurement equipment, for decommissioning purposes was upgraded significantly. Additional attention was devoted to the free release measurement’s technique. The certified laboratory was installed for supporting of all decommissioning activities. All non-radioactive equipments and materials outside of reactor buildings were released for clearance and dismantled for reusing or conventional disposing. Weakly contaminated materials from reactor hall were collected, decontaminated and removed for clearance measurements.

scholarly journals Decommissioning of the Salaspils Research Reactor

2011 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 78-83 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andris Abramenkovs
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Energy ◽  
Research Reactor ◽  
Radioactive Wastes ◽  
Measurement Equipment ◽  
Radiation Measurement ◽  
Radioactive Materials ◽  
Weekly Basis ◽  
The Future ◽  
Conceptual Study

In May 1995, the Latvian government decided to shut down the Salaspils Research Reactor and to dispense with nuclear energy in the future. The reactor has been out of operation since July 1998. A conceptual study on the decommissioning of the Salaspils Research Reactor was drawn up by Noell-KRC-Energie- und Umwelttechnik GmbH in 1998-1999. On October 26th, 1999, the Latvian government decided to start the direct dismantling to ?green-field? in 2001. The upgrading of the decommissioning and dismantling plan was carried out from 2003-2004, resulting in a change of the primary goal of decommissioning. Collecting and conditioning of ?historical? radioactive wastes from different storages outside and inside the reactor hall became the primary goal. All radioactive materials (more than 96 tons) were conditioned for disposal in concrete containers at the radioactive wastes depository ?Radons? at the Baldone site. Protective and radiation measurement equipment of the personnel was upgraded significantly. All non-radioactive equipment and materials outside the reactor buildings were released for clearance and dismantled for reuse or conventional disposal. Contaminated materials from the reactor hall were collected and removed for clearance measurements on a weekly basis.

RTS - 1 - Galilei Decommissioning Project

2003 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Boschi ◽  
E. Cimini ◽  
F. Pagni ◽  
L. Parracone ◽  
M. Pocai ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Research Reactor ◽  
Thermal Flux ◽  
Spent Fuel ◽  
Radiological Risk ◽  
Radioactive Materials ◽  
Thermal Output ◽  
Protective Custody ◽  
First Time ◽  
Waste Characterisation

The RTS-1 “Galileo Galilei” is an open pool research reactor light water moderated and cooled. It had a maximum thermal output of 5 MWth and an average thermal flux of 5 E+13 n/cm2sec. It became critical for the first time on April 1963 and it was definitely shutdown in March 1980. The reactor is situated at CISAM (Joint Centre of Studies and Military Application - Italian Ministry of Defence), S. Piero a Grado, Pisa, Italy, and its decommissioning is in progress. In this paper the strategy adopted to achieve the green status of the reactor site is discussed, with particular attention on the different steps to be done according to the national laws. Emphasis is placed on the characteristics of two different conditions required, namely Passive Protective Custody, which is a step necessary to allow the decay of the radioactive materials present into the plant to decrease the radiological risk to operate safely, and Unconditioned Release, in which all the materials can be released without radiological restrictions. Another aspect discussed in this paper is the effort spent on the determination of the radioisotopic abundance of the reactor components, the personal dose evaluation due to the necessary activities to achieve two different status of “Passive Protective Custody” and “Unconditioned Release” and the waste characterisation. The necessary authorisations to start decommissioning has been obtained as far as concern the removal of spent fuel and the dismantling of some experimental equipments.

The Removal, Transportation and Final Treatment and Conditioning of the THETIS Research Reactor Spent Fuel of the University of Ghent (Belgium) Achieved in 2010

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hubert Thierens ◽  
Myriam Monsieurs ◽  
Vincent De pooter ◽  
Luc Noynaert ◽  
Patrick Maris ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Radioactive Waste ◽  
Research Reactor ◽  
Storage Period ◽  
Disposal Site ◽  
Research Centre ◽  
Nuclear Materials ◽  
Spent Fuel ◽  
Nuclear Facilities ◽  
Enriched Uranium ◽  
Intermediate Storage

The THETIS research reactor on the site of the Nuclear Sciences Institute of the Ghent University has been in operation from 1967 until December 2003. This light-water moderated graphite-reflected low-enriched uranium pool-type reactor has been used for various purposes e.g. the production of radio-isotopes and activation analyses. During the first years its core power was 15 kW. In the early ’70, a core enlargement allowed for operation at typically 150 kW, while the maximum was allowed to be 250 kW. The fuel was 5% enriched uranium cladded with AISI304L stainless steel, with graphite plugs at both ends of the tubes. In order to decommission the reactor, the spent fuel and other nuclear materials present had to be removed from the reactor site. Ghent University entrusted SCK·CEN, the Belgian Nuclear Research Centre, with the study of the further management of the spent fuel. Various options such as reprocessing, intermediate storage awaiting final disposal were investigated. However the characteristics and the small amount of spent fuel (84.64 kg of UO2) made these solutions very expensive. In the meantime ONDRAF/NIRAS, the Belgian radioactive waste management agency, was developing together with Belgoprocess, a solution for final conditioning in 400 liter drums and further intermediate storage of the spent fuel in its nuclear facilities at the BELGOPROCESS site in Dessel. This conditioned waste is foreseen to enter the future geological disposal site after the intermediate storage period only after 2050. Finally SCK·CEN recommended this solution for the back-end of the THETIS spent fuel and Ghent University declared this spent fuel as radioactive waste. Once the feasibility for conditioning and storage was demonstrated, further actions were taken in order to unload the spent fuel out of the reactor and to transport it to the PAMELA-installation at the Belgoprocess site in Dessel. Finally after receiving all necessary licensing authorisations from the FANC/AFCN, the Belgian nuclear safety authority, the operations started at the reactor site beginning of 2010 and the spent fuel was placed into the intermediate storage building after conditioning at the Belgoprocess site at the end of 2010. The paper will focus on: - the inventarisation and characterization of the spent fuel and other nuclear materials; - the operations at Ghent University and Belgoprocess sites; - the conclusions drawn from the operations.

IAEA Decommissioning Safety Activities

2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vladan Ljubenov ◽  
Ernst Warnecke ◽  
Mark Hannan
Keyword(s):  
Radioactive Waste ◽  
Waste Management ◽  
Technical Assistance ◽  
Technical Cooperation ◽  
Spent Fuel ◽  
Fuel Management ◽  
Radioactive Materials ◽  
Safety Standards ◽  
Work Related ◽  
Nuclear Complex

This paper presents a summary of the recent, ongoing and planned safety related IAEA activities on planning, implementation and termination of decommissioning. Work related to the “Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management” and to the development of the international safety standards for decommissioning of facilities using radioactive materials is described. The IAEA activities on the technical assistance to the Member States in the development and review of decommissioning plans through national and international Technical Cooperation Programme projects and through other projects (FaSa project, R2D2P Project, decommissioning of the Iraq former nuclear complex) are presented. Recently established IAEA peer review services on decommissioning are addressed, as well as the international decommissioning forum.

Self-disposal option for highly-radioactive waste reconsidered

2012 ◽  
Vol 1475 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Ojovan ◽  
V. Kascheev ◽  
P. Poluektov
Keyword(s):  
Radioactive Waste ◽  
Partial Melting ◽  
Surrounding Rock ◽  
Radioactive Wastes ◽  
Spent Fuel ◽  
The Earth ◽  
Disposal Option ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Deep Layers ◽  
Earth Interior

ABSTRACTSelf-disposal option for heat-generating radioactive waste (HLW, spent fuel, sealed radioactive sources) known also as rock melting concept was considered in the 70s as a viable but alternative disposal option by both DOE in the USA and Atomic Industry Ministry in the USSR. Self-disposal is currently reconsidered with a novel purpose – to penetrate into the very deep Earth’s layers beneath the Moho’s discontinuity and to explore Earth interior. Self-descending heat generating capsules can be used for disposal of dangerous radioactive wastes in extremely deep layers of the Earth preventing any release of radionuclides into the biosphere. Descending of capsules continues until enough heat is generated by radionuclides to provide partial melting of surrounding rock. Estimates show that extreme depths of several tens and up to hundred km can be reached by capsules which could never be achieved by other techniques.

The Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management

1998 ◽  
Vol 47 (2) ◽  
pp. 409-425 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amelia de Kageneck ◽  
Cyril Pinel
Keyword(s):  
Radioactive Waste ◽  
Waste Management ◽  
Radioactive Wastes ◽  
Spent Fuel ◽  
Fuel Management ◽  
Agenda 21 ◽  
Radioactive Waste Management ◽  
Safety Standards ◽  
Environmentally Sound ◽  
Sound Management

The importance of the safe and environmentally sound management of radioactive wastes had been strongly reaffirmed by the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992. This question was dealt with in Chapter 22 on “safe and environmentally sound management of radioactive wastes” of Agenda 21, adopted at the time of the Conference, which specifically referred to the necessity for States to “support efforts within IAEA to develop and promulgate radioactive wastes safety standards or guidelines and codes of practice as an internationally accepted basis for the safe and environmentally sound management and disposal of radioactive waste”. This political statement was probably the first step in the process which has led to the adoption, in September 1997, of the Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management (hereafter the “Joint Convention”). In 1994 the importance of elaborating safety standards for radioactive waste management appears again in the Convention on Nuclear Safety of 20 September 1994, the Preamble to which (paragraph ix) reads: “Affirming the need to begin promptly the development of an international convention on the safety of radioactive waste management as soon as the ongoing process to develop waste management safety fundamentals has resulted in broad international agreement.”

scholarly journals SiLiF Neutron Counters to Monitor Nuclear Materials in the MICADO Project

Sensors ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (8) ◽  
pp. 2630
Author(s):  
Luigi Cosentino ◽  
Quentin Ducasse ◽  
Martina Giuffrida ◽  
Sergio Lo Meo ◽  
Fabio Longhitano ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Radioactive Waste ◽  
Detector Response ◽  
Nuclear Materials ◽  
Spent Fuel ◽  
Neutron Detectors ◽  
Intermediate Level Radioactive Waste ◽  
Eu Project ◽  
Interim Storage ◽  
Waste Drums

In the framework of the MICADO (Measurement and Instrumentation for Cleaning And Decommissioning Operations) European Union (EU) project, aimed at the full digitization of low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste management, a set of 32 solid state thermal neutron detectors named SiLiF has been built and characterized. MICADO encompasses a complete active and passive characterization of the radwaste drums with neutrons and gamma rays, followed by a longer-term monitoring phase. The SiLiF detectors are suitable for the monitoring of nuclear materials and can be used around radioactive waste drums possibly containing small quantities of actinides, as well as around spent fuel casks in interim storage or during transportation. Suitable polyethylene moderators can be exploited to better shape the detector response to the expected neutron spectrum, according to Monte Carlo simulations that were performed. These detectors were extensively tested with an AmBe neutron source, and the results show a quite uniform and reproducible behavior.

Migration Rates of Brine Inclusions in Single Crystals of Nacl

1981 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
Author(s):  
I-Ming Chou
Keyword(s):  
Radioactive Waste ◽  
Temperature Gradients ◽  
Spent Fuel ◽  
Ion Diffusion ◽  
Cold Side ◽  
Migration Rates ◽  
Permanent Storage ◽  
Salt Brine ◽  
Salt Deposits ◽  
High Level

Rock-salt deposits have been considered as a possible medium for the permanent storage of high-level radioactive wastes and spent fuel. Brine inclusions present in natural salt can migrate toward the waste if the temperature and the temperature gradients in the vicinity of the radioactive waste are large enough. This migration is due to the dissolution of salt at the hot side of the salt-brine interface, ion diffusion through the brine droplet, and the precipitation of salt at the cold side of the salt brine interface.

Engineered Components for Spent Fuel Radioactive Waste Isolation Systems—are They Technically Justified?

1981 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. C. Burkholder
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Radioactive Waste ◽  
Release Rate ◽  
The United States ◽  
Radioactive Waste Disposal ◽  
Radionuclide Transport ◽  
Spent Fuel ◽  
Isolation System ◽  
Waste Forms ◽  
Isolation Systems

In response to draft radioactive waste disposal standards, R&D programs have been initiated in the United States which are aimed at developing and ultimately using radionuclide transport-delaying (e.g., long-lived waste containers) and radionuclide transport-controlling (e.g., very low release rate waste forms) engineered components as part of the isolation system. Before these programs proceed significantly, it seems prudent to evaluate the technical justification for development and use of sophisticated engineered components in radioactive waste isolation.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document