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NRC approves TerraPower construction permit
Today, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission announced that it has approved TerraPower’s construction permit application for Kemmerer Unit 1, the company’s first deployment of Natrium, its flagship sodium fast reactor.
This approval is a significant milestone on three fronts. For TerraPower, it represents another step forward in demonstrating its technology. For the Department of Energy, it reflects progress (despite delays) for the Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program (ARDP). For the NRC, it is the first approval granted to a commercial reactor in nearly a decade—and the first approval of a commercial non–light water reactor in more than 40 years.
John R. Krsul, Robert A. Washburn
Nuclear Technology | Volume 70 | Number 3 | September 1985 | Pages 424-432
Technical Paper | Radioactive Waste Management | doi.org/10.13182/NT85-A15968
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Radioactive sodium is removed from Experimental Breeder Reactor-II components by immersing the components in denatured alcohol until the sodium has reacted with the alcohol. The resulting radioactive sodium-alcohol solution must be processed to separate and convert the sodium to a solid waste for disposal. A process was developed and is described that converts radioactive sodium dissolved in alcohol to a dry powdered carbonate waste product and recovers the alcohol for reuse. The sodium-alcohol waste solution, after adjustment for proper sodium and water content, is fed to a wiped-film evaporator operated at 190°C and maintained with a CO2 atmosphere that converts the dissolved sodium to anhydrous Na2CO3. The end product, ∼85 to 90 wt% Na2CO3, is directed into a 208-ℓ (55-gal) drum for disposal. Alcohol distilled during the process is condensed, collected, and dried for immediate reuse. The composition of the alcohol is not altered in the process.
