Volume Reduction of Solid Radioactive Waste From Research Reactor and Nuclear Laboratories - Industrial Experience

Various research reactors and nuclear laboratories at Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai, India generate approximately 600 m{sup 3} of radioactive solid waste annually. These wastes are categorized and segregated based on their radiation field, physical nature and radionuclides present. The low level waste is further segregated based on compactability criteria. The compactable wastes are packed in 200 litres carbon steel drums and pelletized to get a volume reduction factor of about five. The compaction system designed for Cat-I (Table-1) radioactive waste is having 200 Tons capacity hydraulic press, housed in a well-ventilated enclosure. Before pelletizing, the drum is assayed to estimate {beta},{gamma} activity. Further, the imaging of waste drum is also done so as to avoid any possibility of non-compactable material being taken for pelletizing. The pelletizing system comprises of conveying, pushing, indexing and compacting. All operations are controlled by programmable logic control (PLC) based control system. Apart from the drum palletising, the system is also equipped to compact the used Pre and HEPA filters, being generated from exhaust and supply air system of clean room, nuclear laboratories, research reactors, fuel reprocessing plants, high level waste management facility etc. The system is designed to handle about 5 drums or filtersmore » per hour. So far about 3000 number of each, HEPA filters and waste drums have been safely compacted and disposed. (authors)« less