A Versatile Remediation Module for Remote Repair of Spent Nuclear Fuel and High-Level Waste Storage Containers

Stylianos Chatzidakis; Dominic Giuliano; Jeremy Slade; Wei Tang; Roger Miller; Steve Reeves; John Scaglione; Robert Howard

doi:10.1080/00295450.2020.1800309

A Versatile Remediation Module for Remote Repair of Spent Nuclear Fuel and High-Level Waste Storage Containers

Stylianos Chatzidakis, Dominic Giuliano, Jeremy Slade, Wei Tang, Roger Miller, Steve Reeves, John Scaglione, Robert Howard

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

6 Scopus citations

Abstract

Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) successfully demonstrated the Versatile Remediation Module (VRM), a prototype module designed and built by ORNL for on-site remote repair of welded stainless steel storage containers for spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste. This paper describes the VRM prototype and its design features and components to support continued long-term storage or off-site transportation of spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste currently stored in storage containers. A remote (100 ft away from the simulated radiative environment) demonstration of the VRM was successfully performed on a full-scale mock-up welded stainless steel canister. The VRM is designed with features to accommodate remediation techniques beyond those currently selected and described in this paper. Therefore, many of the VRM’s features may benefit other remote nuclear or nonnuclear applications. The VRM is envisioned to serve as a development center to facilitate and enhance further development of new remediation technologies.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	750-760
Number of pages	11
Journal	Nuclear Technology
Volume	207
Issue number	5
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1080/00295450.2020.1800309
State	Published - 2021

Funding

This material is based upon work supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Nuclear Energy, authored by UT-Battelle, LLC, under contract number DE-AC05-00OR22725. The authors would like to thank John Kessler, Brian Gutherman, and Adam Levin for expert input and guidance during the initial concept development; Paris Cornwell for his technical assistance in the neutron diffraction experiments; Craig Mauer and Christopher Crawford for technical support in the design; and Doug Kyle, who performed the repair welding.

Funders	Funder number
Brian Gutherman
Doug Kyle
John Kessler
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Nuclear Energy	DE-AC05-00OR22725

Keywords

Spent nuclear fuel
arc welding
remediation
remote repair

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1080/00295450.2020.1800309

Cite this

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title = "A Versatile Remediation Module for Remote Repair of Spent Nuclear Fuel and High-Level Waste Storage Containers",

abstract = "Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) successfully demonstrated the Versatile Remediation Module (VRM), a prototype module designed and built by ORNL for on-site remote repair of welded stainless steel storage containers for spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste. This paper describes the VRM prototype and its design features and components to support continued long-term storage or off-site transportation of spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste currently stored in storage containers. A remote (100 ft away from the simulated radiative environment) demonstration of the VRM was successfully performed on a full-scale mock-up welded stainless steel canister. The VRM is designed with features to accommodate remediation techniques beyond those currently selected and described in this paper. Therefore, many of the VRM{\textquoteright}s features may benefit other remote nuclear or nonnuclear applications. The VRM is envisioned to serve as a development center to facilitate and enhance further development of new remediation technologies.",

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AU - Chatzidakis, Stylianos

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AU - Slade, Jeremy

AU - Tang, Wei

AU - Miller, Roger

AU - Reeves, Steve

AU - Scaglione, John

AU - Howard, Robert

PY - 2021

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N2 - Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) successfully demonstrated the Versatile Remediation Module (VRM), a prototype module designed and built by ORNL for on-site remote repair of welded stainless steel storage containers for spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste. This paper describes the VRM prototype and its design features and components to support continued long-term storage or off-site transportation of spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste currently stored in storage containers. A remote (100 ft away from the simulated radiative environment) demonstration of the VRM was successfully performed on a full-scale mock-up welded stainless steel canister. The VRM is designed with features to accommodate remediation techniques beyond those currently selected and described in this paper. Therefore, many of the VRM’s features may benefit other remote nuclear or nonnuclear applications. The VRM is envisioned to serve as a development center to facilitate and enhance further development of new remediation technologies.

AB - Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) successfully demonstrated the Versatile Remediation Module (VRM), a prototype module designed and built by ORNL for on-site remote repair of welded stainless steel storage containers for spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste. This paper describes the VRM prototype and its design features and components to support continued long-term storage or off-site transportation of spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste currently stored in storage containers. A remote (100 ft away from the simulated radiative environment) demonstration of the VRM was successfully performed on a full-scale mock-up welded stainless steel canister. The VRM is designed with features to accommodate remediation techniques beyond those currently selected and described in this paper. Therefore, many of the VRM’s features may benefit other remote nuclear or nonnuclear applications. The VRM is envisioned to serve as a development center to facilitate and enhance further development of new remediation technologies.

KW - Spent nuclear fuel

KW - arc welding

KW - remediation

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A Versatile Remediation Module for Remote Repair of Spent Nuclear Fuel and High-Level Waste Storage Containers

Abstract

Funding

Keywords

UN SDGs

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