Failure radioactive waste storage

The design of spaces and equipment such as spent fuel storage and handling facilities, and radioactive waste storage should account for provisions to minimize the release that could result from their failure. 

The process of vitrification of radioactive waste is now an important element in the radiochemical process of nuclear fuel in Russia. The failure of the vitrification furnace at the Mayak Combine has forced the Russian Federation Gosatomnadzor to reduce the rate of radiochemical fuel processing in order to limit the accumulation of liquid radioactive waste in storage tanks. 

An interesting observation on long-term crevice tests of Fe-Ni-Cr-Mo-N alloys [21] is that well-developed crevice corrosion may stop spontaneously even though the environmental conditions do not change. If confirmed, such behavior could be of major importance because it would mean that crevice corrosion may not necessarily cause the failure of structures, particularly in applications involving thick materials such as the containers for long-term storage and disposal of radioactive wastes. 

A formal hazard analysis of the anticipated operations was conducted using Preliminary Hazard Assessment (PHA) and Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA) techniques to evaluate potential hazards associated with processing operations, waste handling and storage, quality control activities, and maintenance. This process included the identification of various features to control or mitigate the identified hazards. Based on the hazard analysis, a more limited set of accident scenarios was selected for quantitative evaiuation, which bound the risks to the public. These scenarios included radioactive material spills and fires and considered the effects of equipment failure, human error, and the potential effects of natural phenomena and other external events. The hazard analysis process led to the selection of eight design basis accidents (DBA s), which are summarized in Table E.4-1. 

Humanity is confronted for the first time with Risk Assessments for at perpetuity projects, that is projects that should last forever and/or receive perpetual care . These project are linked to the storage of wastes containing toxic difficult to neutralize, but not necessarily radioactive, compounds. We will first compare the historic rate of failure (major accidents only) of Tailings dams and Nuclear... 

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