Uranium-233 Downblending and Disposition Project. Technology Readiness Assessment.

摘要

A technical readiness assessment (TRA) of the 233-Uranium Downblending and Disposition Project (233U Project) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory was conducted from July 7 through 11 2008. The 233U Project's mission is to downblend the 233U currently held in Building 3019 to resolve security and safety concerns and to prepare the material for transport for final disposition. The projects plans are to downblend the 233U to meet the waste acceptance criteria (WAC) at the Waste Isolation Pilot Project (WIPP) and/or the Nevada Test Site (NTS), whichever is appropriate. The Consolidated Edison Uranium Solidification Project (CEUSP) material, which makes up almost three fourths of the 233U inventory, was expected to meet the WIPP WAC, even after dilution from the downblending operations. However, the team determined that based on the limited concentrations of TRU Isotopes in the CEUSP material, the uncertainties in the characterization data of that same inventory, and the potential for loss due to hold-up of TRU constituents in the processing equipment, it is uncertain whether all the downblended material would meet the WAC at WIPP.