INCINERATION OF RADIOACTIVE ORGANIC LIQUIDS FIVE YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN THE NETHERLANDS

摘要

Radioactive waste results from the use of radioactive materials in hospitals, research establishments, industryrnand nuclear power plants. One of the radioactive waste forms that have to be handled in The Netherlands is organicrnliquid, mainly produced by research establishments and medical institutions. In the eighties the volume of thisrnwaste was increasing, while no adequate treatment technique was available. The liquids were stored in 600 litrerndrums to await further treatment.rnIn 1982 a dedicated waste management company was formed: COVRA, the Central Organisation forrnRadioactive Waste. COVRA has to manage all the nations radioactive waste. This agency had to develop plans forrnthe treatment of the various waste forms. As a next step these plans had to be put in practice. For the treatment ofrnorganic liquids the construction of a dedicated incinerator was foreseen and this facility became operational inrn1994. By that time more than ten years of liquid waste production, forming a volume in excess of 100 m3, was keptrnin store. The composition of these liquids turned out to be very complex, ranging from simple hydrocarbons tornchlorinated and gelating compounds. Also the caloric values showed large differences from batch to batch.rnAutomatic operation of the facility was in practice not possible, continuous adjustment of the incinerationrnprocess was needed. Many problems were encountered, in the feeding system, the parameter control and specificallyrnin the off-gas treatment.