Download or read book Heavy Water Components Test Reactor Decommissioning Major Component Removal written by and published by . This book was released on 2010 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Heavy Water Components Test Reactor (HWCTR) facility (Figure 1) was built in 1961, operated from 1962 to 1964, and is located in the northwest quadrant of the Savannah River Site (SRS) approximately three miles from the site boundary. The HWCTR facility is on high, well-drained ground, about 30 meters above the water table. The HWCTR was a pressurized heavy water test reactor used to develop candidate fuel designs for heavy water power reactors. It was not a defense-related facility like the materials production reactors at SRS. The reactor was moderated with heavy water and was rated at 50 megawatts thermal power. In December of 1964, operations were terminated and the facility was placed in a standby condition as a result of the decision by the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission to redirect research and development work on heavy water power reactors to reactors cooled with organic materials. For about one year, site personnel maintained the facility in a standby status, and then retired the reactor in place. In 1965, fuel assemblies were removed, systems that contained heavy water were drained, fluid piping systems were drained, deenergized and disconnected and the spent fuel basin was drained and dried. The doors of the reactor facility were shut and it wasn't until 10 years later that decommissioning plans were considered and ultimately postponed due to budget constraints. In the early 1990s, DOE began planning to decommission HWCTR again. Yet, in the face of new budget constraints, DOE deferred dismantlement and placed HWCTR in an extended surveillance and maintenance mode. The doors of the reactor facility were welded shut to protect workers and discourage intruders. The $1.6 billion allocation from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to SRS for site clean up at SRS has opened the doors to the HWCTR again - this time for final decommissioning. During the lifetime of HWCTR, 36 different fuel assemblies were tested in the facility. Ten of these experienced cladding failures as operational capabilities of the different designs were being established. In addition, numerous spills of heavy water occurred within the facility. Currently, radiation and radioactive contamination levels are low within HWCTR with most of the radioactivity contained within the reactor vessel. There are no known insults to the environment, however with the increasing deterioration of the facility, the possibility exists that contamination could spread outside the facility if it is not decommissioned. An interior panoramic view of the ground floor elevation taken in August 2009 is shown in Figure 2. The foreground shows the transfer coffin followed by the reactor vessel and control rod drive platform in the center. Behind the reactor vessel is the fuel pool. Above the ground level are the polar crane and the emergency deluge tank at the top of the dome. Note the considerable rust and degradation of the components and the interior of the containment building. Alternative studies have concluded that the most environmentally safe, cost effective option for final decommissioning is to remove the reactor vessel, steam generators, and all equipment above grade including the dome. Characterization studies along with transport models have concluded that the remaining below grade equipment that is left in place including the transfer coffin will not contribute any significant contamination to the environment in the future. The below grade space will be grouted in place. A concrete cover will be placed over the remaining footprint and the groundwater will be monitored for an indefinite period to ensure compliance with environmental regulations. The schedule for completion of decommissioning is late FY2011. This paper describes the concepts planned in order to remove the major components including the dome, the reactor vessel (RV), the two steam generators (SG), and relocating the transfer coffin (TC).

Download or read book Heavy Water Components Test Reactor Decommissioning written by and published by . This book was released on 2011 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Heavy Water Components Test Reactor (HWCTR) Decommissioning Project was initiated in 2009 as a Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) Removal Action with funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). This paper summarizes the history prior to 2009, the major D & D activities, and final end state of the facility at completion of decommissioning in June 2011. The HWCTR facility was built in 1961, operated from 1962 to 1964, and is located in the northwest quadrant of the Savannah River Site (SRS) approximately three miles from the site boundary. The HWCTR was a pressurized heavy water test reactor used to develop candidate fuel designs for heavy water power reactors. In December of 1964, operations were terminated and the facility was placed in a standby condition as a result of the decision by the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission to redirect research and development work on heavy water power reactors to reactors cooled with organic materials. For about one year, site personnel maintained the facility in a standby status, and then retired the reactor in place. In the early 1990s, DOE began planning to decommission HWCTR. Yet, in the face of new budget constraints, DOE deferred dismantlement and placed HWCTR in an extended surveillance and maintenance mode. The doors of the reactor facility were welded shut to protect workers and discourage intruders. In 2009 the $1.6 billion allocation from the ARRA to SRS for site footprint reduction at SRS reopened the doors to HWCTR - this time for final decommissioning. Alternative studies concluded that the most environmentally safe, cost effective option for final decommissioning was to remove the reactor vessel, both steam generators, and all equipment above grade including the dome. The transfer coffin, originally above grade, was to be placed in the cavity vacated by the reactor vessel and the remaining below grade spaces would be grouted. Once all above equipment including the dome was removed, a concrete cover was to be placed over the remaining footprint and the groundwater monitored for an indefinite period to ensure compliance with environmental regulations.

Download or read book Analysis of Removal Alternatives for the Heavy Water Components Test Reactor at the Savannah River Site Revision 1 written by and published by . This book was released on 1997 with total page 168 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This engineering study evaluates different alternatives for decontamination and decommissioning of the Heavy Water Components Test Reactor (HWCTR). Cooled and moderated with pressurized heavy water, this uranium-fueled nuclear reactor was designed to test fuel assemblies for heavy water power reactors. It was operated for this purpose from march of 1962 until December of 1964. Four alternatives studied in detail include: (1) dismantlement, in which all radioactive and hazardous contaminants would be removed, the containment dome dismantled and the property restored to a condition similar to its original preconstruction state; (2) partial dismantlement and interim safe storage, where radioactive equipment except for the reactor vessel and steam generators would be removed, along with hazardous materials, and the building sealed with remote monitoring equipment in place to permit limited inspections at five-year intervals; (3) conversion for beneficial reuse, in which most radioactive equipment and hazardous materials would be removed and the containment building converted to another use such as a storage facility for radioactive materials, and (4) entombment, which involves removing hazardous materials, filling the below-ground structure with concrete, removing the containment dome and pouring a concrete cap on the tomb. Also considered was safe storage, but this approach, which has, in effect, been followed for the past 30 years, did not warrant detailed evaluation. The four other alternatives were evaluate, taking into account factors such as potential effects on the environment, risks, effectiveness, ease of implementation and cost. The preferred alternative was determined to be dismantlement. This approach is recommended because it ranks highest in the comparative analysis, would serve as the best prototype for the site reactor decommissioning program and would be most compatible with site property reuse plans for the future.

Download or read book A Decommissioning Plan for the Heavy Water Components Test Reactor written by and published by . This book was released on 1976 with total page 99 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Three alternatives to decommission the Heavy Water Components Test Reactor (HWCTR) have been analyzed as summarized in Table 1. The protective confinement approach is advantageous as long as current activities onsite limit access by the general public; excellent confinement of the residual activity is provided by in situ dry storage as the radiation from 6°Co diminishes. Entombment provides the most-secure confinement of the activity but at some increased cost. Dismantling HWCTR has no apparent advantages other than a demonstration at the Savannah River Plant site, because of the long-term commitment to safeguarding radioactive material; the relative cost is high. The induced radioactivity in HWCTR is current 2.3 x 104 Ci; general area radiation levels are typically 3 mR/hr. In 35 years, the decay of 6°Co will lower the radiation levels by a factor of 100, and the remaining radioactivity will be 2 x 103 Ci of 63Ni. Minimal offsite effects are calculated to result after postulated structural failures to the decommissioned HWCTR facility. Flexibility and aesthetics favor dismantlement, but these criteria are considered less significant than public radiation dose, cost, and land area committed.

Download or read book Decommissioning Plan for the Heavy Water Components Test Reactor written by and published by . This book was released on 1975 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book A Decommissioning Plan for the Heavy Water Components Test Reactor written by F. R. Field and published by . This book was released on 1975 with total page 42 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Decommissioning Techniques for Research Reactors written by International Atomic Energy Agency and published by . This book was released on 1994 with total page 124 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is the first report published by the IAEA which provides guidance on the preparation and implementation of the decommissioning of different types of research reactor. Different construction and operational features of research reactors have a major impact on the decommissioning techniques required. This report offers information on the conclusions drawn from a number of completed projects and identifies their similarities and differences. It is complemented by a computerized research reactor databank. Staff requirements, decommissioning costs waste activity are presented graphically according to reactor thermal power and integrated energy.

Download or read book Design Lessons Drawn from the Decommissioning of Nuclear Facilities written by International Atomic Energy Agency and published by . This book was released on 2011 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: At a time when many older facilities are being decommissioned and many more are undergoing major retrofits to extend their lives, there is a wealth of information emerging to guide the design of new facilities. In this publication, the most important lessons learned in recent years are examined.

Download or read book Costs of Decommissioning Nuclear Power Plants written by and published by . This book was released on 2016 with total page 260 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: While refurbishments for the long-term operation of nuclear power plants and for the lifetime extension of such plants have been widely pursued in recent years, the number of plants to be decommissioned is nonetheless expected to increase in future, particularly in the United States and Europe. It is thus important to understand the costs of decommissioning so as to develop coherent and cost-effective strategies, realistic cost estimates based on decommissioning plans from the outset of operations and mechanisms to ensure that future decommissioning expenses can be adequately covered. This study presents the results of an NEA review of the costs of decommissioning nuclear power plants and of overall funding practices adopted across NEA member countries. The study is based on the results of this NEA questionnaire, on actual decommissioning costs or estimates, and on plans for the establishment and management of decommissioning funds. Case studies are included to provide insight into decommissioning practices in a number of countries.

Download or read book Energy and Water Development Appropriations for 2000 written by United States. Congress. House. Committee on Appropriations. Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development and published by . This book was released on 1999 with total page 1512 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Energy and Water Development Appropriations for 2000 Department of Energy fiscal year 2000 budget justifications written by United States. Congress. House. Committee on Appropriations. Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development and published by . This book was released on 1999 with total page 3004 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Nuclear Facility Decommissioning and Site Remedial Actions written by and published by . This book was released on 1980 with total page 476 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book International Structure for Decommissioning Costing ISDC of Nuclear Installations written by Organisation de coopération et de développement économiques and published by . This book was released on 2012 with total page 195 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Cost estimation for the decommissioning of nuclear facilities can vary considerably in format, content and practice both within and across countries. These differences may have legitimate reasons but make the process of reviewing estimates complicated and the estimates themselves difficult to defend. Hence, the joint initiative of the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA), the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the European Commission (EC) was undertaken to propose a standard itemisation of decommissioning costs either directly for the production of cost estimates or for mapping estimates onto a standard, common structure for purposes of comparison. This report updates the earlier itemisation published in 1999 and takes into account experience accumulated thus far. The revised cost itemisation structure has sought to ensure that all costs within the planned scope of a decommissioning project may be reflected. The report also provides general guidance on developing a decommissioning cost estimate, including detailed advice on using the structure.

Download or read book Boiling Water Reactor Plant written by United Engineers & Constructors, inc and published by . This book was released on 1972 with total page 218 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Managing the Unexpected in Decommissioning written by International Atomic Energy Agency and published by IAEA Nuclear Energy Series No.. This book was released on 2016 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This publication explores the implications of decommissioning in the light of unexpected events and the trade-off between activities to reduce them and factors militating against any such extra work. It classifies and sets out some instances where unexpected findings in a decommissioning programme led to a need to either stop, or reconsider the work, re-think the options, or move forward on a different path. It provides practical guidance in planning and management of decommissioning taking into account unexpected events. This guidance includes an evaluation of the experience and lessons learned in tackling decommissioning that is often neglected. Thus it will enable future decommissioning teams to adopt the relevant lessons to reduce additional costs, time delays and radiation exposures.

Download or read book ERDA Research Abstracts written by United States. Energy Research and Development Administration and published by . This book was released on 1976 with total page 1040 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Decommissioning of Pools in Nuclear Facilities written by International Atomic Energy Agency and published by IAEA Nuclear Energy. This book was released on 2015 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Pools or ponds are usually an integrated part of a more complex nuclear facility, but in some particular cases pools may be considered as a separate nuclear facility with a specific license. A number of nuclear installations utilize pools for the cooling of spent fuel, or the shielding of research reactor cores or irradiator sources. Over a service lifetime that can span decades, nuclear pools may become contaminated as a result of the deposition of radioactive substances. Relevant aspects of pool decommissioning covered in this publication include project planning and management, health and safety, and the management of resulting waste.