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Members are devoted to applying nuclear science and engineering technologies involving isotopes, radiation applications, and associated equipment in scientific research, development, and industrial processes. Their interests lie primarily in education, industrial uses, biology, medicine, and health physics. Division committees include Analytical Applications of Isotopes and Radiation, Biology and Medicine, Radiation Applications, Radiation Sources and Detection, and Thermal Power Sources.
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Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
Glass strategy: Hanford’s enhanced waste glass program
The mission of the Department of Energy’s Office of River Protection (ORP) is to complete the safe cleanup of waste resulting from decades of nuclear weapons development. One of the most technologically challenging responsibilities is the safe disposition of approximately 56 million gallons of radioactive waste historically stored in 177 tanks at the Hanford Site in Washington state.
ORP has a clear incentive to reduce the overall mission duration and cost. One pathway is to develop and deploy innovative technical solutions that can advance baseline flow sheets toward higher efficiency operations while reducing identified risks without compromising safety. Vitrification is the baseline process that will convert both high-level and low-level radioactive waste at Hanford into a stable glass waste form for long-term storage and disposal.
Although vitrification is a mature technology, there are key areas where technology can further reduce operational risks, advance baseline processes to maximize waste throughput, and provide the underpinning to enhance operational flexibility; all steps in reducing mission duration and cost.
K. J. Heroux, E. G. Estochen
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 71 | Number 3 | April 2017 | Pages 410-415
Technical Note | doi.org/10.1080/15361055.2017.1291234
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The hydriding-induced wall stress evaluation of a prototype Four-Inch SHort (FISH) tritium hydride bed revealed that the advanced design features do not result in additional strain on the process vessel walls during simulated operation. The maximum tensile wall stress measured at high hydrogen loadings (H/M > 0.7) was determined to be <40% of the ASME allowable limit for 316L stainless steel. Variation in wall stress with hydride loading was also examined via stepwise protium absorption and desorption. Minimal hydriding-induced wall stress was observed in the optimal operating range of the hydride material. The results described herein are in good agreement with previous studies on similar hydride storage beds without the advanced design features. Completed verification of ASME compliance for the FISH bed is a major milestone in its qualification for tritium service.