AIKEN, S.C. - The next melter to process high-level radioactive waste at the Savannah River Site (SRS) recently arrived at its new home in the Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF).
Melter 3, known as the heart of DWPF, is a teapot-shaped vessel that treats the waste by blending it with borosilicate glass, or “frit," to form a molten glass mixture in a process called vitrification. The mixture is poured into stainless-steel canisters, which are decontaminated and stored safely onsite until a permanent storage facility is identified.
Melter 3 replaces Melter 2, which operated nearly 14 years. Workers transported Melter 2 via rail to an underground storage vault. They brought Melter 3 to DWPF on a tractor-trailer from an onsite mockup facility, and safely installed it in the DWPF melt cell.
DOE-Savannah River Manager Jack Craig said the project occurred at an optimum time for the site’s liquid waste system.
“The melter replacement allowed for preventive and corrective maintenance on systems that cannot be shut down for extended periods during melter operations," Craig said.
At 75 tons, the melter vessel is 10 feet tall and 8 feet wide. The metal framework surrounding the melter, designed to permit remote handling, is 24 feet long, 12 feet wide, and 17 feet tall.
Crews will connect more than 90 components that allow Melter 3 to operate and receive the feed material to pour glass. The vessel will then undergo testing, with operations expected to begin by the end of this year.
To prepare for Melter 3’s tenancy, EM cleaned the melt cell with the help of a robot modified by Savannah River National Laboratory. With a broom and dustpan in hand, the robot swept radioactive debris left by Melter 2 into piles for disposal.
“I’m very proud of the Savannah River Remediation (SRR) team for its outstanding job accomplishing this melter replacement. Workers from all across the organization came together to accomplish this task safely and efficiently," said Tom Foster, president and project manager for SRR, the SRS liquid-waste contractor.
“The life of Melter 2 was truly a success story, and the liquid-waste program is looking forward to using the lessons learned from Melter 2 operations and applying them to Melter 3," he said.
Source: U.S. Dept. of Energy, Office of Environmental Management
