Review of innovative technologies of radioactive waste ... · PDF fileReview of innovative...

International Atomic Energy Agency

Bergen, Norway, 15 and 16 May 2014

Review of innovative technologies

of radioactive waste treatment Michael I. Ojovan

Waste Technology Section, Department of Nuclear Energy,

IAEA

CEG Workshop on topical issues of legacy RW and SNF management

in North West and Far East Russia,

International Atomic Energy Agency 2

Contents

I. Background

II. Gaseous

radioactive waste

III. Aqueous

radioactive waste

IV. Solid radioactive

waste

V. Problematic

waste: i-graphite

and DSRS

VI. Conclusions

VII. Scientific Forum


It is important for Member States to adopt a mix of radioactive

waste processing technologies which is optimally suited to the

country-specific types and quantities of wastes generated.

Background

Treatment = Operations

intended to benefit safety

and/or economy by changing

the characteristics of the waste.

Three basic treatment

objectives are:

(i) volume reduction,

(ii) removal of radionuclides

from the waste and

(iii) change of composition.

Treatment may result in an

appropriate waste form.

Waste

Generation

Any or all of the operations

prior to waste treatment

such as:

-Collection

-Characterisation

-Segregation

-Adjustment

-Decontamination

Reuse,

recyclingVolume reduction, removal

of radionuclides, changes

in composition

Solidification, embedding,

encapsulation followed by

packaging

Placement of waste in

nuclear facility where

human control and

retrievability are ensured

Storage for decay

Environment or landfill

depending on the physical

form of waste

Transfer of waste

packages

Near surface

repository

Deep

underground

repository

Pretreatment

Treatment

Conditioning

Interim storage

Transport

Disposal

Short-lived waste

(< 30 years)

Long-lived waste

(> 30 years)

Emplacement of waste in a

licensed facility without

intention of retrieval

Transportation to a

centralised storage

facility may be involved

Radioactive

waste

Transportation to a

centralised storage


Cleared

waste

Candidate for

clearance

Radioactive waste management

Predisposal Disposal

Waste

Generation

Any or all of the operations

prior to waste treatment

such as:

-Collection

-Characterisation

-Segregation

-Adjustment

-Decontamination

Reuse,

recyclingVolume reduction, removal

of radionuclides, changes

in composition

Solidification, embedding,

encapsulation followed by

packaging

Placement of waste in

nuclear facility where

human control and

retrievability are ensured

Storage for decay

Environment or landfill

depending on the physical

form of waste

Transfer of waste

packages

Near surface

repository

Deep

underground

repository

Pretreatment

Treatment

Conditioning

Interim storage

Transport

Disposal

Short-lived waste

(< 30 years)

Long-lived waste

(> 30 years)

Emplacement of waste in a

licensed facility without

intention of retrieval

Transportation to a

centralised storage


Radioactive

waste

Transportation to a

centralised storage


Cleared

waste

Candidate for

clearance

Radioactive waste management

Predisposal Disposal


Main WTS Activities

Technical Publications;

Coordinated Research Projects;

International Peer Review Services.

WTS Networks: o International Decommissioning Network (IDN),

o Network for Environmental Management and

Remediation (ENVIRONET),

o Network for Underground Research

Laboratories for Geological Disposal of HLW

(URF),

o Near-surface Disposal Network (DISPONET),

o Waste Characterization Network (LABONET),

o CONNECT - Connecting the Network of

Networks for Enhanced Communications and

Training in RWM, D&ER.

o We investigate the feasibility of a new network

for radioactive waste predisposal management

– IMMONET

4

http://nucleus.iaea.org/sites/CONNECT/Pages/default.aspx


http://nucleus.iaea.org/sites/nefw-projects/IMMONET/SitePages/Home.aspx


WA

TE

C-2

014

, 1-4

.04.2

014

WATEC strongly recommends

that the IAEA ensure long-term

sustainability of the networks …. http://www.iaea.org/OurWork/ST/NE/NEFW/Technical_Areas/WTS/WATEC.html

6

International Radioactive Waste Technical Committee (WATEC)


Co

ord

inate

d R

ese

arc

h P

roje

cts

CRP on Planning, Management and

Organizational Aspects in Decommissioning of

Nuclear Facilities (2009-2011), IAEA-TECDOC-

1712 published in 2013;

CRP on Innovative and Adaptive Technologies

in Decommissioning of Nuclear Facilities (2004-

2008), IAEA-TECDOC-1602 published in 2008;

Performance and Behaviour of Cementitious

Materials in Long Term Storage and

Disposal of Radioactive Waste (2007-2010),

IAEA-TECDOC-1701 published in 2013;

Treatment of Irradiated Graphite to Meet

Waste Acceptance Criteria for Disposal

(2011-2013);

Processing Technologies for High Level

Waste, Formulation of Matrices and

Characterization of Waste Forms (2013-

2015).

7


Pe

er

Re

vie

ws

International Peer Review of UK Magnox

Decommissioning Programme (2008-2011)

– final report handed over to Magnox

representatives at the IAEA in February 2012.

Korea: Geological disposal programme with

emphasis on suitability for pyro- processed waste

(2012);

UK, NDA: Peer Review of Interim Storage of Higher

Activity Waste Packages-Industry Guidance (2012);

Russia: International Peer Review on the application

of international safety standards to the liquid RWM

practices in the Russian Federation (2013);

The Follow-up International Mission on remediation

of large contaminated areas off-site the Fukushima

Daiichi NPP (2 EM’s 2013).

Review of Hungarian waste management

framework is in preparation.

8


AR

TE

MIS

The Review Service for managing radioactive waste and

spent fuel, control of discharges, decommissioning and

remediation is a cross-cutting coordinated activity of NEFW

and NSRW.

Objective: to provide independent expert opinion and advice

on :

o radioactive waste and spent fuel management,

o assessment of radiological impacts to people and the environment,

o management of residues arising from uranium production,

o decommissioning and

o remediation issues.

Based upon the IAEA safety standards and technical

guidance, as well as international good practice. 9


Sources of information

• IAEA TECDOC-1527 “Application of Thermal Technologies for Processing of Radioactive

Waste”

• IAEA TECDOC-draft “Treatment of radioactive gaseous waste”*

• IAEA TECDOC-draft “Mobile processing systems for radioactive waste management”

• IAEA TECDOC-draft “Modular design of processing and storage facilities for small volumes of

low and intermediate level radioactive waste including disused radioactive sources”

• IAEA TECDOC-draft “Treatment of Irradiated Graphite to Meet Acceptance Criteria for Waste

Disposal”*

• IAEA IMMONET web site: http://nucleus.iaea.org/sites/nefw-

projects/IMMONET/SitePages/Home.aspx

• M.I. Ojovan, W.E. Lee. An Introduction to Nuclear Waste Immobilisation, 2nd Edition, Elsevier,

Amsterdam, 362 p. (2014).

• W. E. Lee, M.I. Ojovan, C.M. Jantzen. Radioactive waste management and contaminated site

clean-up: Processes, technologies and international experience, Woodhead, Cambridge, 924

p. (2013).

• J. Deckers. Incineration and plasma processes and technology for treatment and conditioning

of radioactive waste. Chapter 3 in: M.I. Ojovan. Handbook of advanced radioactive waste

conditioning technologies. Woodhead, Cambridge, 512 p. (2011).

* available on IMMONET






Gaseous radioactive waste

http://nucleus.iaea.org/sites/nefw-

projects/IMMONET/SitePages/Home.aspx


Mobile off-gas treatment system


"Aqua-Express" FGUP RADON

16

Aqueous radioactive waste


NUclide REmoval System (NURES), Fortum

NS


Oil decontamination system: Kinectrics, Canada

180-200oC


Solid radioactive waste

Non-Thermal

Thermal


Solid radioactive waste: non-thermal

Usage as a pre-treatment unit. Up to 500 kN force.


Skid mounted supercompactor: GNS

Mobile supercompactors

NUCLECO supercompactor


Floor decontamination system: BARC, India


Cable insulation separation system: GNS, Germany


Increasing demands for

enhanced efficiency and

safety of waste

processing technologies

has focused attention on

thermal technologies, as

they provide advantages

regarding stabilization of

the output waste form

and high volume

reduction efficiencies.

Solid radioactive waste: thermal


Waste Metal Melting

The final product (ingot, shielding

block, centrifugated steel cylinder,

etc.) is homogeneous, stable, and

has the remaining activity content

bound in the metal. Melting can

produce a conditioned waste form

suitable for direct disposal.

Normally, the amount of secondary

waste is in the range of 2 to 5 wt.%.


Plasma Treatment

Plasma sources provide deep

thermal conversion of organic

materials and produce an end

product in the melted state.

Plasma torches use the energy

of an electric discharge

(electric arc) for heating

working gases transmitted

through it.


Volume

reduction

factors range

from 6 (typical

ZWILAG

results) for

waste

containing

mostly metals

and debris to 10

for treatment of

mixed waste

(typical RADON

results) and to

more than 100

for primarily

organic waste.

Advantages

⎯ One single process can treat the un-sorted waste.

⎯ The final waste form is durable and suitable for long term storage and disposal.

⎯ Less production of certain flue gasses and the greenhouse gas CO2.


1 – loading unit, 2 – shaft, 3 – hearth, 4 –

slag receiver, 5 – plasma torch, 6 – stopper,

7 – off gas outlet.

Plasma shaft furnace 1

2

3 4

5

6

7


Parameter “Pyrolysis” “Pluton”

Capacity to solid waste, kg/h 40-50 200-250 Dimensions, m 8 8 10 12 18 12 Quantity of plasma torches in a furnace 1 2 Electric power of plasma torches, kW 70-120 100-150 Response time, h 8-12 16-24 Specific energy consumption, kW*h/kg 2-4 1-3

Views of control board, shaft furnace and SRW loading unit of the “Pluton” plant


Component Content, wt.%

Paper 11 - 90

Wood (scobs) 1 - 5

Wood (fuelwood) 2 - 20

Textile (rag) 4 - 7

Plastic (polyethylene, polycarbonate, PVC) 4 - 8

Glass (domestic and laboratory) 2 - 8

Rubber (hoses, tires) 2 - 5

Electric boards, radio components 1 - 5

Construction waste 4 - 15

Heat insulating materials 1 - 5

Metal 3 - 10

Ion-exchange resins 0.3 - 2

Vegetable materials and berries 2 - 5

Overall ash content of the waste 7 - 40

Overall humidity of the waste 5 - 35

Specific activity to -emitters, within limit of 2.2·105 Bq/kg

Specific activity to -emitters, within limit of 3.7·106 Bq/kg

Component Na+ 137Cs 239Pu

Leaching rate, g/cm2*day

(2-3) *10-6

(0.3-5)*10-6

(0,8-2)*10-7


Non-standardized Not detected Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB)

Non-standardized From 0.02 to 1.12 μg/m3 Cancerogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (benzapyrene)

50 μg/m3 500 μg/m3

50 μg/m3

9 μg/m3

394 μg/m3 1.02 μg/m3

Heavy metals: cadmium lead mercury

0.1 ng/m3 0.014 ÷ 0.02 ng/m3 Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxines and dibenzofurans in terms of toxic equivalent

The European standard for the discharge of pollutants into the

atmosphere

Concentration in off-gas

Component

39

Significant reduction (1.5 – 2 times) of the off gas volume as a result of

plasma torches usage instead of combustion type heaters…


The ZWILAG plant,

serves to process

combustible solid and

liquid wastes, as well as

metals and mineral

substances (concrete,

gravel, etc.).


The maximum capacity of

the facility is 200 kg/h of

combustible waste and 300

kg/h of fusible waste.

Throughput is approximately

50 000 to 60 000 kg/yr.


Plasma Melting Facility at Kozloduy NPP: Belgoprocess

• Ordered to JV IBERDROLA –BELGOPROCESS

• Funded by EBRD (70%) and Bulgaria (30%)

• Testing beginning 2014


Plasma Melting Facility at Kozloduy NPP: Belgoprocess


Mobile plasma waste treatment facility: Necsa, SA


France: i-Graphite Waste-Management Scenario

More details on: http://nucleus.iaea.org/sites/

nefw-

projects/IMMONET/graphite-

crp/SitePages/Home.aspx

Problematic radioactive waste: i-graphite and DSRS

http://nucleus.iaea.org/sites/nefw-projects/IMMONET/graphite-crp/SitePages/Home.aspx








UK: i-Graphite-Management Process proposed by Bradtec,

Hyder, Studsvik UK and Costain

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IAEA Mobile Hot Cell for highly radioactive sources


Disused Sealed Radioactive Sources Immobilisation: FGUP

RADON


• Safe and efficient RWM is an important component of

prosperous and peaceful use of nuclear energy and

radioactive materials;

• Technologies for RWM are available and being further

developed;

• IAEA plays an active role in developing and maintaining

high standards of RWM in Member States;

• IAEA is also strongly promoting international cooperation

and exchange of information.

53

Conclusions


• Registration via: http://www-

pub.iaea.org/iaeameetings/46

089/Scientific-Forum

20

14

IA

EA

Genera

l C

onfe

rence S

cie

ntific

Foru

m

• The General Conference is the highest policymaking body of the IAEA. It is

composed of representatives of all Member States of the Agency. The 57th

IAEA General Conference held on 16-20 September 2013 involved more

than 3 000 delegates from 159 IAEA MSs and international organizations.

• The 2014 GC-58 will be held at IAEA on 23-25 September 2014. At the

58th General Conference, the theme of the Scientific Forum will be

“Radioactive Waste: Meeting the Challenge”.

Scientific Forum

http://www-pub.iaea.org/iaeameetings/46089/Scientific-Forum









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