Designing a New Radioactive Liquid Waste Treatment Facility for Los Alamos National Laboratory to Update Treatment Technologies and Meet Current Regulatory Requirements

摘要

This paper discusses the new Radioactive Liquid Waste Treatment Facility (RLWTF) being designed for Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) and also provides information regarding the updates to the facility resulting from improvements in technologies and changes in regulations and codes that have occurred since the existing facility was built. It explains how the new facility will be a suitable replacement for the existing facility and how the new facility will allow LANL to continue its current mission as well as have the capability to treat any new waste stream resulting from a future expansion of the laboratory.Specific topics relating to the improvements in technology that are discussed include replacing existing settling technologies with improved chemical precipitation technologies using hydrochloric acid, sodium hydroxide, magnesium chloride, and ferric chloride. Also discussed are improved filtration technologies and dewatering technologies.Topics discussed regarding regulatory and code requirements include the current state and federal regulatory criteria and the new seismic criteria requirements that the design conforms to.