University of Wisconsin Neutronics Center of Excellence

Environment and Radwaste Management

Radioactive waste management should be recognized as an issue that is significant not only to the fusion community, but also to the global environment. As fusion energy becomes a contributor to the world's energy supply by the mid 21st century, managing the many thousand cubic meters of active materials after plant decommissioning represents a real challenge to the fusion industry and cannot be relegated to the back-end as only a disposal issue. Scenarios for radwaste management include disposal in geological repositories, recycling and reuse within the nuclear industry, and clearance or release to the commercial market if the materials contain traces of radioactivity. Most fusion plants generate Class-C low-level waste, requiring near-surface burial.

The wealth of experience accumulated over the past 30-40 years of fusion power plant studies must be forged in a new strategy to reshape all aspects of handling the continual stream of radioactive materials during operation and after plant decommissioning. With tighter environmental controls and the political difficulty of building new repositories worldwide, the disposal option should be replaced with more environmentally attractive scenarios, such as:

  1. Recycle and reuse within the nuclear industry
  2. Clear or release to the commercial market if materials contain traces of radioactivity.

There is a growing international effort in support of this new trend. The introduction of the clearance category for slightly radioactive materials is an important recent development to accommodate most decommissioned waste at a cost much lower than that for traditional low-level waste produced by the majority of U.S. power plants.

In the late 1990s, we introduced the clearance option to various design concepts. The majority of the in-vessel components cannot be cleared from regulatory control even after an extended storage of 100-500 y, according to the clearance guidelines by the IAEA and the U.S. NRC. The bioshield, cryostat, and individual magnet constituents qualify for clearance. Representing 75-80% of the total waste volume, the cleared materials save a substantial disposal cost and, more importantly, free ample space in the repositories for other radwaste.

Just recently, we applied the recycling approach to the non-clearable in-vessel components (blanket, shield, and vacuum vessel). All components can potentially be recycled using conventional and advanced remote handling equipment. The online removal of specific radionuclides during recycling prolongs the reusability of materials. Transmutation of these byproducts in fusion devices is one of the means being explored to avoid their geological burial.

As an important goal for U.S. power plant studies, the national ARIES project is committed to radwaste minimization. The focus on compact devices with radwaste reduction mechanisms (such as blanket segmentation and well-optimized components) contributed most significantly to the factor of 2-4 difference in radwaste volume between recent ARIES plants and previous designs developed prior to 1995.

To make fusion a viable energy source with minimal environmental impact, we highly recommend minimizing the radwaste by design, and recycling/clearing all fusion components, if economically and technologically feasible, avoiding the disposal approach, meaning no long-term radwaste burden on future generations.

Our recent activity placed UW as the leading U.S. institute for radwaste management assessments. This activity drew the attention of our colleagues in Europe, Russia, Japan, and S. Korea, requesting collaboration with UW in this unique area of research.


Publications

Results: 1 to 40 of 68 order by: UWFDM Author Title Date
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UWFDM-1420   Developments in 3-D Nuclear Analysis: Model Visualization and Robust Activation Analysis; Lucas Mynsberge, January 2014 [M.S. thesis]. (114 pages, 2.4 MB)

Activation and Environmental Aspects of ARIES-ACT-1 Power Plant; L. El-Guebaly, L. Mynsberge, C. Martin, D. Henderson, 2014 [to be published in Fusion Science and Technology, 2014.].

Study of Radioactive Inventory Generated from W-based Components in ITER and PPCS Fusion Designs; M. Desecures, L. El-Guebaly, F. Druyts, P. Van Iseghem, V. Massaut, G. Van Oost, October 2013 [presented at 27th Symposium on Fusion Technology, Sept. 24-28, 2012, Liège, Belgium; published in Fusion Engineering and Design, 88, Issues 9-10 (October 2013) 2674-2678.].

Recent Advances in Fusion Radioactive Material Studies; M. Zucchetti, L. Di Pace, L. El-Guebaly, J.-H. Han, B. N. Kolbasov, V. Massaut, Y. Someya, K. Tobita, and M. Desecures, October 2013 [presented at 27th Symposium on Fusion Technology, Sept. 24-28, 2012, Liège, Belgium; published in Fusion Engineering and Design, 88, Issues 6-8 (October 2013) 652-656.].

Some Technological Problems of Fusion Materials Management; Boris Kolbasov, Laila El-Guebaly, Vladimir Khripunov, Youji Someya, Kenji Tobita, Massimo Zucchetti, September 20, 2013 [Presented at 11th ISFNT, Barcelona, Spain, September 16-20, 2013. To be published in Fusion Engineering and Design.]. ( available online )

UWFDM-1413   Future Trend Toward the Ultimate Goal of Radwaste-Free Fusion: Feasibility of Recycling/Clearance, Avoiding Geological Disposal; L.A. El-Guebaly, June 2012 [presented at the 1st Conference on Inertial Fusion Energy, 25-27 April 2012, Yokohama, Japan; published in J. Plasma and Fusion Research 8, 3404041 (May 2013)]. (8 pages, 878 kB)

Radioactive Waste Management of Fusion Power Plants; Luigi Di Pace, Laila El-Guebaly, Boris Kolbasov, Vincent Massaut and Massimo Zucchetti, April 2012 [Chapter 14 in book: Radioactive Waste. Dr. Rehab Abdel Rahman (Ed.), ISBN: 978-953-51-0551-0, InTech]. ( available online )

Safety and Environmental Features; L. Cadwallader and L. El-Guebaly, August 2011 [Chapter 36 in Nuclear Energy Encyclopedia: Science, Technology, and Applications, Steven B. Krivit and Jay H. Lehr, eds., John Wiley & Sons, ISBN 978-0-470-89439-2]. ( available online )

retrieve PDF Toward the Ultimate Goal of Radwaste-Free Fusion: Recycling and Clearance, Avoiding Disposal; L. El-Guebaly, May 2011 [presented at the Colloquium in Environmental Toxicology, Department of Soil Science, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 3 May 2011]. (35 pages, 5.1 MB)

retrieve PDF Activation Assessments of 316-SS Vacuum Vessel and W-Based Divertor; L. El-Guebaly, A. Robinson, D. Henderson, May 2010 [presented at the ARIES Project Meeting, 19 May 2010, University of California-San Diego, La Jolla CA]. (33 pages, 3.0 MB)

UWFDM-1373   Integrated Management Strategy for Fusion Activated Materials: US Position and Regulations; L.A. El-Guebaly and L. Cadwallader, July 2009 [Proceedings of 9th IAEA Technical Meeting on Fusion Power Plant Safety, July 15-17, 2009, Vienna, Austria. To be published by IAEA.]. (9 pages, 316 kB)

retrieve PDF Integrated Management Strategy for Fusion Activated Materials: US Position and Regulations; L.A. El-Guebaly and L. Cadwallader, July 2009 [presented at the 9th IAEA Technical Meeting on Fusion Power Plant Safety, 15-17 July 2009, Vienna, Austria]. (34 pages, 1.6 MB)

Recent Developments in Safety and Environmental Aspects of Fusion Power Plants; L.A. El-Guebaly and L. Cadwallader, 2009 [Chapter 9 in book: Nuclear Reactors, Nuclear Fusion and Fusion Engineering. A. Aasen and P. Olsson, Editors. NOVA Science Publishers, Inc.: Hauppauge, New York, USA. ISBN: 978-1-60692-508-9 (2009) 321-365. Also published in E-Journal: International Journal of Energy, Environment, and Economics, Volume 18, Issue 3-4. ISSN 1054-853X (2011) 201-246.]. ( available online )

UWFDM-1340   An Integrated Approach to the Back-End of the Fusion Materials Cycle; L. El-Guebaly, M. Zucchetti, L. Di Pace, B.N. Kolbasov, V. Massaut, R. Pampin, P. Wilson, May 2008 [published in Fusion Science and Technology, 52 (2) 2009, 109-139]. (49 pages, 1.5 MB)

retrieve PDF Lifecycle Waste Disposal and Decommissioning Costs for ARIES Systems; L. El-Guebaly and L. Cadwallader, May 2008 [presented at the ARIES-Pathways Project Meeting, 28-29 May 2008, Madison WI]. (21 pages, 1.1 MB)

retrieve PDF Toward the Ultimate Goal of Radwaste-Free Fusion: Recycling and Clearance, Avoiding Geological Disposal; L. El-Guebaly, April 2008 [presented at the Department of Physics Seminar, University of Wisconsin]. (32 pages, 2.0 MB)

retrieve PDF Recent Trend in Managing Fusion Radwaste: Recycling and Clearance, Avoiding Disposal; L. El-Guebaly, V. Massaut, K. Tobita, L. Cadwallader, March 2008 [presented at the U.S.-Japan Workshop on Power Plant Studies and Advanced Technologies, 5-7 March 2008, San Diego CA]. (27 pages, 16 MB)

retrieve PDF Goals, Challenges, and Successes of Managing Fusion Active Materials; L. El-Guebaly, V. Massaut, K. Tobita, L. Cadwallader, October 2007 [presented at the 8th International Symposium on Fusion Nuclear Technology, 1-5 October 2007, Heidelberg, Germany; published in Fusion Engineering and Design 83, Issues 7-9 (2008) 928-935]. (26 pages, 2.3 MB)

UWFDM-1333   Evaluation of Recent Scenarios for Managing Fusion Activated Materials: Recycling and Clearance, Avoiding Disposal; L. El-Guebaly, V. Massaut, K. Tobita, L. Cadwallader, September 2007 (revised January 2008). (33 pages, 1.8 MB)

retrieve PDF Radwaste Management Issues; L. El-Guebaly and L. Cadwallader, September 2007 [presented at the ARIES-TNS Project Meeting, 6-7 September 2007, Idaho Falls ID]. (16 pages, 744 kB)

UWFDM-1335   Environmental Aspects of Recent Trend in Managing Fusion Radwaste: Recycling and Clearance, Avoiding Disposal; L.A. El-Guebaly, June 2007 [published in the Proceedings of the 2nd IAEA Technical Meeting on First Generation of Fusion Power Plants: Design and Technology, 20-22 June 2007, Vienna, Austria, IAEA-TM-32812; IAEA CD ISBN 978-92-0-159508-9.]. (14 pages, 698 kB)

retrieve PDF Making Sense of Fusion Radwaste: Recycling and Clearance, Avoiding Disposal; L. El-Guebaly, June 2007 [presented at the ARIES-TNS Project Meeting, 14-15 June 2007, General Atomics, San Diego CA]. (26 pages, 1.3 MB)

UWFDM-1308   Activation and Waste Stream Analysis for RTL of Z-Pinch Power Plant; L. El-Guebaly, P. Wilson, M. Sawan, November 2006 [presented at the 17th ANS Topical Meeting on Fusion Energy, 13-15 November 2006, Albuquerque NM]. (7 pages, 945 kB)

retrieve PDF Environmental Benefits and Impact of Radwaste Management Approaches: Disposal, Recycling, and Clearance; L. El-Guebaly, November 2006 [presented at the 17th ANS Topical Meeting on Fusion Energy, 13-15 November 2006, Albuquerque NM]. (20 pages, 5.4 MB)

retrieve PDF Activation and Waste Stream Analysis for RTL of Z-Pinch Power Plant; L. El-Guebaly, P. Wilson, and M. Sawan, November 2006 [presented at the 17th ANS Topical Meeting on Fusion Energy, 13-15 November 2006, Albuquerque NM]. (1 page, 922 kB)

UWFDM-1296   Recent Developments in Environmental Aspects of D-3He Fueled Fusion Devices; Laila El-Guebaly and Massimo Zucchetti, October 2006 (revised April 2008)  [published in Fusion Engineering and Design, vol. 82, 4 (2007) 351-361]. (27 pages, 630 kB)

Clearance Considerations for Slightly-Irradiated Components of Fusion Power Plants; L. El-Guebaly, R. Pampin, and M. Zucchetti, July 10-13, 2006 [8th IAEA TM on Fusion Power Plant Safety].

Evaluation of Disposal, Recycling, and Clearance Scenarios for Managing ARIES Radwaste after Plant Decommissioning; L. El-Guebaly, July 10-13, 2006 [8th IAEA TM on Fusion Power Plant Safety].

Recent Accomplishments and Future Directions in U.S. Fusion Safety & Environmental Program; D. Petti et al., July 10-13, 2006 [8th IAEA TM on Fusion Power Plant Safety].

UWFDM-1294   Clearance Considerations for Slightly-Irradiated Components of Fusion Power Plants; L. El-Guebaly, R. Pampin, M. Zucchetti, July 2006 [presented at the 8th IAEA Technical Meeting on Fusion Power Plant Safety, Vienna, Austria, 10-13 July 2006; published in Nuclear Fusion 47 (2007) 480-484]. (10 pages, 707 kB)

UWFDM-1293   Evaluation of Disposal, Recycling, and Clearance Scenarios for Managing ARIES Radwaste after Plant Decommissioning; L. El-Guebaly, July 2006 [presented at the 8th IAEA Technical Meeting on Fusion Power Plant Safety, Vienna, Austria, 10-13 July 2006; published in Nuclear Fusion 47 (2007) 485-488]. (9 pages, 574 kB)

UWFDM-1292   Insights from Clearance Assessments of Fusion Power Plants: ARIES and PPCS; L. El-Guebaly, R. Pampin, M. Zucchetti, July 2006. (20 pages, 970 kB)

retrieve PDF Evaluation of Disposal, Recycling, and Clearance Scenarios for Managing ARIES Radwaste after Plant Decommissioning; L. El-Guebaly, July 2006 [presented at the 8th IAEA Technical Meeting on Fusion Power Plant Safety, July 10-13, 2006, Vienna, Austria]. (23 pages, 9.4 MB)

UWFDM-1286   The Feasibility of Recycling and Clearance of Active Materials from Fusion Power Plants; M. Zucchetti, L.A. El-Guebaly, R.A. Forrest, T.D. Marshall, N.P. Taylor, K. Tobita, November 2005 [submitted to the 12th International Conference on Fusion Reactor Materials, 4-9 December 2005, Santa Barbara CA; published in J. Nucl. Matls. 367-370 (2007) 1355-1360]. (12 pages, 1.2 MB)

UWFDM-1285   Current Challenges Facing Recycling and Clearance of Fusion Radioactive Materials; L.A. El-Guebaly, R.A. Forrest, T.D. Marshall, N.P. Taylor, K. Tobita, M. Zucchetti, November 2005. (20 pages, 1.3 MB)

UWFDM-1284   Recycling and Clearance of the Slightly Activated RTLs of the 2005 Z-Pinch Design; L.A. El-Guebaly, P. Wilson, M.E. Sawan, October 2005. (10 pages, 725 kB)

UWFDM-1279   Assessment of the Activation, Decay Heat, and Waste Disposal of a Dual Coolant Lithium Lead Test Blanket Module for ITER; M.Z. Youssef and M.E. Sawan, September 2005 [presented at the 21st IEEE/NPSS Symposium on Fusion Engineering (SOFE), 26-29 September 2005, Knoxville TN]. (8 pages, 1.2 MB)

retrieve PDF Assessment of the Activation, Decay Heat, and Waste Disposal of a Dual Coolant Lithium Lead Test Blanket Module for ITER; M.Z. Youssef and M.E. Sawan, September 2005 [presented at the 21st IEEE/NPSS Symposium on Fusion Engineering (SOFE), 26-29 September 2005, Knoxville TN]. (1 page, 821 kB)

UWFDM-1271   Evolution of Clearance Standards and Implications for Radwaste Management of Fusion Power Plants; L.A. El-Guebaly, P. Wilson, D. Paige, and the ARIES and Z-Pinch Teams, July 2005 (revised August 2005)  [ Fusion Science and Technology, 49 (2006) 62-73]. (29 pages, 1.1 MB)

UWFDM-1270   Managing Fusion High Level Waste - A Strategy for Burning the Long-Lived Products in Fusion Devices; L.A. El-Guebaly, May 2005 [presented at the Seventh International Symposium on Fusion Nuclear Technology, May 22-27, 2005, Tokyo, Japan; Fusion Engineering and Design, 81 (2006) 1321-1326]. (13 pages, 632 kB)


Results: 1 to 40 of 68 order by: UWFDM Author Title Date
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