• Title/Summary/Keyword: Nuclear waste

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Glass Property Models, Constraints, and Formulation Approaches for Vitrification of High-Level Nuclear Wastes at the US Hanford Site

  • Kim, Dongsang
    • Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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    • v.52 no.2
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    • pp.92-102
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    • 2015
  • Current plans for legacy nuclear wastes stored in underground tanks at the U.S. Department of Energy's Hanford Site in Washington are that they will be separated into high-level waste and low-activity waste fractions that will be vitrified separately. Formulating optimized glass compositions that maximize the waste loading in glass is critical for successful and economical treatment and immobilization of these nuclear wastes. Glass property-composition models have been developed and applied to formulate glass compositions for various objectives for the past several decades. Property models with associated uncertainties combined with composition and property constraints have been used to develop preliminary glass formulation algorithms designed for vitrification process control and waste-form qualification at the planned waste vitrification plant. This paper provides an overview of the current status of glass property-composition models, constraints applicable to Hanford waste vitrification, and glass formulation approaches that have been developed for vitrification of hazardous and highly radioactive wastes stored at the Hanford Site.

Development of a multi criteria decision analysis framework for the assessment of integrated waste management options for irradiated graphite

  • Abrahamsen-Mills, Liam;Wareing, Alan;Fowler, Linda;Jarvis, Richard;Norris, Simon;Banford, Anthony
    • Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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    • v.53 no.4
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    • pp.1224-1235
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    • 2021
  • An integrated waste management approach for irradiated graphite was developed during the European Commission project 'Treatment and Disposal of Irradiated Graphite and other Carbonaceous Waste'. This included the identification of potential options for the management of irradiated graphite, taking account of storage, retrieval, treatment and disposal methods. This paper describes how these options can be assessed using multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) for a case study relating to a generic power reactor. Criteria have been defined to account for safety, environmental, economic and socio-political factors, including radiological impact, resource usage, economic costs and risks. The impact of each option against each criterion has been assessed using data from the project and the wider literature. A linear additive approach has been used to convert the calculated impacts to scores. To account for the relative importance of the criteria, example weightings were allocated. This application has shown that MCDA approaches can be used to support complex decisions regarding irradiated graphite management, accounting for a wide range of criteria. Use of this approach by individual countries or organisations will need to account for the specific options, scores, weightings and constraints that apply, based on their national strategies, regulatory requirements and public acceptability.

Radioactive waste sampling for characterisation - A Bayesian upgrade

  • Pyke, Caroline K.;Hiller, Peter J.;Koma, Yoshikazu;Ohki, Keiichi
    • Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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    • v.54 no.1
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    • pp.414-422
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    • 2022
  • Presented in this paper is a methodology for combining a Bayesian statistical approach with Data Quality Objectives (a structured decision-making method) to provide increased levels of confidence in analytical data when approaching a waste boundary. Development of sampling and analysis plans for the characterisation of radioactive waste often use a simple, one pass statistical approach as underpinning for the sampling schedule. Using a Bayesian statistical approach introduces the concept of Prior information giving an adaptive sample strategy based on previous knowledge. This aligns more closely with the iterative approach demanded of the most commonly used structured decision-making tool in this area (Data Quality Objectives) and the potential to provide a more fully underpinned justification than the more traditional statistical approach. The approach described has been developed in a UK regulatory context but is translated to a waste stream from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station to demonstrate how the methodology can be applied in this context to support decision making regarding the ultimate disposal option for radioactive waste in a more global context.

Countermeasures for Management of Off-site Radioactive Wastes in the Event of a Major Accident at Nuclear Power Plants

  • Lee, Ji-Min;Hong, Dae Seok;Shin, Hyeong Ki;Kim, Hyun Ki
    • Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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    • v.20 no.3
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    • pp.339-347
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    • 2022
  • Major accidents at nuclear power plants generate huge amounts of radioactive waste in a short period of time over a wide area outside the plant boundary. Therefore, extraordinary efforts are required for safe management of the waste. A well-established remediation plan including radioactive waste management that is prepared in advance will minimize the impact on the public and environment. In Korea, however, only limited plans exist to systematically manage this type of off-site radioactive waste generating event. In this study, we developed basic strategies for off-site radioactive waste management based on recommendations from the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) and NCRP (National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements), experiences from the Fukushima Daiichi accident in Japan, and a review of the national radioactive waste management system in Korea. These strategies included the assignment of roles and responsibilities, development of management methodologies, securement of storage capacities, preparation for the use of existing infrastructure, assurance of information transparency, and establishment of cooperative measures with international organizations.