MAIN RESULTS OF THE TASK

Garching, January 17th, 2006: L. Ooms

TW4-TSW-001-D1a: Recycling

Report: Feasibility of fusion waste recyclingReference: R-4056, February 2005; L. Ooms, V. Massaut

Experience in fission technology

• Discussion with melting facilities: Siempelkamp (Germany)

Studsvik (Sweden)

Socodei (France)

Duratek (US)

• Discussion with manufacturers of

complex pieces (PLANSEE, Austria).

Experience in fission technology

Nuclear melting facilities:• Goals for fission industry:

Homogenization

Decontamination

Volume reduction

• Present installations => No remote control (but possible)

• Feasible to treat material up to 1000 Bq/g (hands on)

• Melting points determined by the oven lining

• Products of melting are simple

• Severe filtration system

Experience in fission technology

Materials treated up to now:• Low activities: limit value around 200 Bq/g • Transport regulation is also a limit to take into

account.• Materials treated up to now: Al, SS, CS, Pb, Zn

and brass.• Material separation during melting:

Separation possible if delta T > 200°C Very few practical experience Danger for cross-contamination

Between materials Between oven liner and materials

Recycling of fusion materials is rather complex and challenging (1) Wide range of materials, joined using special bonding

techniques. Joining Technologies

Brazing Electron Beam Welding Diffusion Bonding Hot Isostatic Pressing Casting

Sophisticated testing during fabrication Non-Destructive Examination Radiography Ultrasonic Thermography Hot Helium Leak Tests.

Feasibility of fusion waste recycling

Recycling of fusion materials is rather complex and challenging (2) High dose rate Parameters not yet known:

Impurities Build up of activation products Effects on material properties Dose rate and activity level

Waste treatment: slag, dust, tritium

Feasibility of fusion waste recycling

Feasibility of fusion waste recycling

ACTIVITY LEVEL PLANT MODEL A

1,0E+001,0E+011,0E+021,0E+031,0E+041,0E+051,0E+061,0E+071,0E+081,0E+091,0E+101,0E+111,0E+12

1 year 50 years 100 years

Decay period

Act

ivit

y l

evel

(B

q/g

)

Blanket

Divertor

First wall

TF coil

VV

Shield

Remote recycling

Current limit

• Define the techniques for recycling, since melting is only a partial solution.

• Recycling includes also separation and fabrication of the parts.

• Availibility of detritiation processes• Available capacity is too low, so recycling plants have to

be build.• Hands on recycling is excluded (limit is 1000 Bq/g),

even after 100 years of decay.

Conclusions (1)

Recycling of fusion materials is not obvious, several challenges have to be overcome

►To cope with the findings of the final PPCS report (no waste burden in recycling is applied) it is important to show to the public that recycling can be applied on fusion materials.

►Do not make the same mistake as in fission technology!

Conclusions (2)