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Fusion Science and Technology
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WIPP: Lessons in transportation safety
As part of a future consent-based approach by the federal government to site new deep geologic repositories for nuclear waste, local communities and states that are considering hosting such facilities are sure to have many questions. Currently, the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in New Mexico is the only example of such a repository in operation, and it offers the opportunity for state and local officials to visit and judge for themselves the risks and benefits of hosting a similar facility. But its history can also provide lessons for these officials, particularly the political process leading up to the opening of WIPP, the safety of WIPP operations and transportation of waste from generator facilities to the site, and the economic impacts the project has had on the local area of Carlsbad, as well as the rest of the state of New Mexico.
Gheorghe Bulubasa, Alina Niculescu, George Ana, Ciprian Bucur, Iuliana Ștefan, Maria Crăciun, Anisia Bornea
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 80 | Number 3 | April-May 2024 | Pages 411-415
Research Article | doi.org/10.1080/15361055.2023.2271242
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Tritium resulting from separation processes is being stored in metal hydrides. In time, because of radioactive decay, tritium converts into 3He, which accumulates in the storage vessel. The recovery of 3He is a topic of high interest because of its wide range of applications in health care, security, and advanced research. Currently, at ICSI Râmnicu Vâlcea, a method is under development based on gas chromatography, Pd/Ag membrane permeation, and cryogenic distillation for 3He separation and enrichment having as sources both the cover gas of nuclear reactors and tritium storage containers. This paper reports the investigation of using Pd/Ag membranes for helium separation from hydrogen isotopes by experimental determination of the operating performance of the membrane in view of process integration. Tests have been performed at different temperatures in the domain of 100°C to 350°C for different hydrogen partial pressures in the upstream side of the membrane in the domain of 150 to 300 kPa, while the downstream part was continuously purged with a preliminary vacuum pump. The results for the membrane parameters are in good agreement with previous literature reports and will be utilized for the dimensioning and establishing of operating parameters of the membrane used for intermediate separation of helium isotopes from hydrogen.