EVALUATION OF ULTIMATE DISPOSAL METHODS FOR LIQUID AND SOLID RADIOACTIVE WASTES. Part I. INTERIM LIQUID STORAGE

摘要

As the first part of a study to evaluate the economics of the various steps leading to and including the permanent disposal of high-activity liquid and solid radioactive waste, costs of interim liquid storage of acid and alkaline Purex and Thorex wastes were estimated for storage times of 0.5 to 30 years. A 6-ton/day plant was assumed, processing 1500 tonnes/year of uranium converter fuel at a burnup of 10,000 Mwd/tonne and 270 tonnes/year of thorium converter fuel at a burnup of 20,000 Mwd/tonne. Tanks of Savannah River design were assumed, with stainless steel construction for acid wastes and mild steel construction for neutralized wastes. The operating cycle of each tank was assumed to consist of equal filling and emptying periods plus a full (or dead) period. With interim storage time defined as filling time plus full time, tank costs were minimum when full time was 40 to 70 percent of the interim storage time, using present worth considerations.