Design criteria are given for a conceptual reprocessing plant capable of processing HTGR-type graphite-based fuel. The single-purpose plant is designed to reprocess 260 metric tons of fuel per year consisting of HTGR reference-type and Fort St. Vrain fuel plus a small amount of Peach Bottom fuel. The design incorporates a burn-leach type headend, separate modified Acid-thorex flowsheets for solvent extraction recovery of the heavy metals from both the fertile and fissile particles, and denitration of both the U-233 and U-235; in addition, extended storage of thorium as a nitrate solution is provided, high-and intermediate-level wastes are converted to granular solids in a fluidized-bed calciner and stored indefinitely on site, and low-level waste is essentially completely decontaminated. These design criteria will be used by an Architect-Engineer to prepare a capital cost estimate for the conceptual plant. The cost estimate will be part of an HTGR Reference Plant Study to develop a reprocessing charge for those HTGR fuels that will be received by the AEC for financial settlement.
Three cycles of solvent extraction are used at the Idaho Chemical Processing Plant (ICPP) for purifying highly-enriched uranium generated from reprocessing highly radioactive fuel elements in various headend facilities. The first cycle of extraction usually employs TBP in this multi-purpose plant, and is followed by two extraction cycles using MIBK.Use of different solvents permits advantage to be taken of their respective characteristics for separating fission products from uranium; MIBK is more effective for zirconium whereas TBP is more of. ctive for ruthenium.• Five headend systems are currently available for dissolving spent fuel elements. Currently, these systems at the ICPP are operated sequentially, along with a waste solidification facility, to permit optimum use of manpower and facilities to result in lowest possible reprocessing costs. For instance, the continuous aluminum process and the first extraction cycle are operated concurrently while the other facilities are in standby and the first cycle product is being collected and stored.Then the second-and third-extraction cycles and product denitration unit are operated concurrently. When these fuel processing facilities are in standby, the waste solidification facility is operated to convert the radioactive waste solutions from the solvent extraction system to a safer, more compact granular solid. This type of alternating operation is believed ideal for a multi-purpose plant and in fact would be highly satisfactory for a single-purpose plant. In such a case, it is highly probable that only the fuel processing and waste solidification facilities would be operated alternately, however, to yield the most 'efficient-type operation.
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