Implementation of an Outer Can Welding System for Savannah River Site Plutonium Processing Facility

2003 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Howard ◽  
W. Daugherty ◽  
C. Sessions
Keyword(s):  
Weld Pool ◽  
Savannah River Site ◽  
Phase Iii ◽  
Acceptance Testing ◽  
Savannah River ◽  
Gas Tungsten Arc ◽  
Processing Facility ◽  
Gas Tungsten ◽  
River Site ◽  
Three Phases

This paper details three phases of testing to confirm use of a Gas Tungsten Arc (GTA) system for closure welding the 3013 outer container used for stabilization/storage of plutonium metals and oxides. The outer container/lid closure joint was originally designed for laser welding, but for this application, the gas tungsten arc (GTA) welding process has been adapted. The testing progressed in three phases: (1) system checkout to evaluate system components for operational readiness, (2) troubleshooting to evaluate high weld failure rates and develop corrective techniques, and (3) pre-installation acceptance testing. A total of 190 can/lid welds were made and evaluated. During Phase I, weld failures were common due to pressure buildup and venting through the weld pool. During Phase II, characterization of the electrode contact to the weld pool and weld pool blowouts helped in the development of a corrective technique. During Phase III, a reduction in internal pressure, by controlling the final helium backfill of the can before welding, provided satisfactory weld results. The work described was performed during 2002 pre-installation testing at the Savannah River Technology Center in Aiken, S.C. before installation of an Outer Can Welder (OCW) system at the Savannah River Site (SRS) plutonium processing facility. The first OCW system was originally developed at the SRS to support similar plutonium stabilization/storage efforts at the Hanford Site (operated by Fluor Hanford Corporation).

scholarly journals Product Consistency Leach Tests of Savannah River Site Radioactive Waste Glasses

1989 ◽  
Vol 176 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ned E. Bibler ◽  
John K. Bates
Keyword(s):  
National Laboratory ◽  
Argonne National Laboratory ◽  
Savannah River Site ◽  
Good Precision ◽  
Savannah River ◽  
Consistency Test ◽  
Leach Test ◽  
Processing Facility ◽  
General Order ◽  
River Site

ABSTRACTThe Product Consistency Test (PCT) is a glass leach test developed at the Savannah River Site (SRS) to confirm the durability of radioactive nuclear waste glasses that will be produced in the Defense Waste Processing Facility. The PCT is a seven day, crushed glass leach test in deionized water at 90°C. Final leachates are filtered and acidified prior to analysis. To demonstrate the reproducibility of the PCT when performed remotely, SRS and Argonne National Laboratory have performed the PCT on samples of two radioactive glasses. The tests were also performed to compare the releases of the radionuclides with the major nonradioactive glass components and to determine if radiation from the glass was affecting the results of the PCT.The test was performed in triplicate at each laboratory. For the major soluble elements, B, Li, Na, and Si, in the glass, each investigator obtained relative precisions in the range 2–5% in the triplicate tests. This range indicates good precision for the PCT when performed remotely with master slave manipulators in a shielded cell environment. When the results of the two laboratories were compared to each other, the agreement was within 20%. Normalized concentrations for the nonradioactive and radioactive elements in the PCT leachates measured at both facilities indicated that the radionuclides were released from the glass slower than the major soluble elements in the glass. For both laboratories, the normalized releases for both glasses were in the general order Li∼B∼Na>Si>Cs-137>Sb-125>Sr-90. The normalized releases for the major soluble elements and the final pH values in the tests with radioactive glass are consistent with those for nonradioactive glasses with similar compositions. This indicates that there was no significant effect of radiation on the results of the PCT.

Status of the Salt Waste Processing Facility at the Savannah River Site

2003 ◽  
Author(s):  
Terrel J. Spears ◽  
James W. McCullough ◽  
Harry D. Harmon ◽  
Robert K. Leugemors
Keyword(s):  
Conceptual Design ◽  
Waste Treatment ◽  
Savannah River Site ◽  
Waste Processing ◽  
Savannah River ◽  
Processing Facility ◽  
Treatment Technologies ◽  
River Site ◽  
Design Construction ◽  
Salt Waste

The Department of Energy’s (DOE) Savannah River Site (SRS) High-Level Waste (HLW) Program is responsible for storage, treatment, and immobilization of HLW for disposal. The Salt Processing Program (SPP) is the salt (soluble) waste treatment portion of this effort. The overall SPP encompasses the selection, design, construction and operation of treatment technologies to prepare the salt waste feed material for the site’s Saltstone Facility and vitrification facility (Defense Waste Processing Facility). Major constituents that must be removed from the salt waste include actinides, strontium, cesium, and entrained sludge. In fiscal year (FY) 2002, research and development (R&D) on the actinide and strontium removal and Caustic-Side Solvent Extraction (CSSX) processes transitioned from technology development for baseline process selection to providing input for conceptual design of the Salt Waste Processing Facility (SWPF), a key component at the SRS SPP. This work included laboratory studies, bench-scale tests, and prototype equipment development. To implement the salt waste treatment technologies, DOE initiated a competitive procurement process to select Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) contractors for design of the SWPF. The Department awarded EPC contracts to Parsons Infrastructure & Technology Group, Inc. and Foster Wheeler USA Corporation for preparation of conceptual designs (Phase I) for the SWPF. The two EPC contractors began conceptual design activities in September 2002 and are scheduled to complete this work in January 2004. After evaluation of the conceptual designs, DOE will down select one EPC contractor to continue with final design, construction, and hot commissioning (Phase II). Hot startup of the SWPF is targeted for December 2009.

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