Decommissioning of back-end nuclear facilities
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S. Dagbjartsson
Abstract
Concerning the decommissioning of facilities related to reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel and processing and disposal of radioactive waste, i. e., facilities for waste conditioning or storage, specific features prevail. Such facilities are generally optimised for the handling of radioactive substances and, therefore, are frequently highly contaminated, but do not contain any activated material. One main concern of their decommissioning will usually be the decontamination of extended surfaces of process equipment and building structures. Depending on the extent and success of the decontamination, dismantling tasks might have to be remotely performed. Based on a survey of the number of such facilities, typical issues associated with their decommissioning were found to be well presented by focussing on the examples of the decommissioning of the two prototype spent fuel reprocessing plants at Dessel/Belgium and Karlsruhe/Germany. Such issues are mainly associated with the presence of alpha-contamination of the process equipment and large building structures. Experience gained from solving associated problems is discussed.
Kurzfassung
Die Stilllegung und der Rückbau von Entsorgungsanlagen für radioaktive Abfälle beinhaltet einige spezifische Aspekte, die bei der Stilllegung anderer nuklearen Anlagen keine oder nur eine untergeordnete Rolle spielen. Diese Anlagen sind dafür ausgelegt, radioaktive Materialien zu behandeln und sind daher häufig stark kontaminiert, während Aktivierung von Materialien und Strukturen unbedeutend sind. Eines der Hauptaspekte ist daher die Decontamination der teilweise sehr großen (inneren) Oberflächen von Anlagen und Baustrukturen. Abhängig von dem Ausmaß der Kontamination kann es erforderlich sein, den Rückbau fernbedient durchzuführen. Da die Analyse von einer Anzahl von relevanten Rückbauprojekten gezeigt hat, dass die oben erwähnten spezifischen Aspekte alle beim Rückbau von den Wiederaufarbeitungsanlagen in Dessel/Belgien und in Karlsruhe/Deutschland aufgetreten sind, werden in diesem Artikel diese Aspekte primär an Hand des Rückbaus dieser Anlagen diskutiert. Auf die Lösung der zugehörigen Probleme, die in erster Linie mit Strahlenschutzaspekten aufgrund der Alpha-Kontamination der Anlagen und der Baustrukturen zusammenhängen, wird eingegangen.
References
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© 2005, Carl Hanser Verlag, München
Articles in the same Issue
- Contents/Inhalt
- Contents
- Summaries/Kurzfassungen
- Summaries
- Editorial
- Decommissioning of nuclear facilities
- Technical Contributions/Fachbeiträge
- Regulation of nuclear decommissioning
- Survey of decommissioning projects
- Decommissioning strategy selection
- Decommissioning technologies, including recent developments and special features of the dismantling of nuclear research and prototype facilities
- The role of clearance in Germany – release of materials, buildings and sites
- The decommissioning of light water reactors – experience
- Decommissioning of gas-cooled reactors
- Decommissioning of reactors after accidents
- Decommissioning and dismantling of the Siemens fuel cycle facilities
- Decommissioning of back-end nuclear facilities
- Decommissioning and rehabilitation of uranium and thorium production facilities
- German assistance for the dismantling of nuclear submarines in Russia
Articles in the same Issue
- Contents/Inhalt
- Contents
- Summaries/Kurzfassungen
- Summaries
- Editorial
- Decommissioning of nuclear facilities
- Technical Contributions/Fachbeiträge
- Regulation of nuclear decommissioning
- Survey of decommissioning projects
- Decommissioning strategy selection
- Decommissioning technologies, including recent developments and special features of the dismantling of nuclear research and prototype facilities
- The role of clearance in Germany – release of materials, buildings and sites
- The decommissioning of light water reactors – experience
- Decommissioning of gas-cooled reactors
- Decommissioning of reactors after accidents
- Decommissioning and dismantling of the Siemens fuel cycle facilities
- Decommissioning of back-end nuclear facilities
- Decommissioning and rehabilitation of uranium and thorium production facilities
- German assistance for the dismantling of nuclear submarines in Russia
