Results from Simulated Remote-Handled Transuranic Waste Experiments at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP)
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RESULTS FROM SIMULATED REMOTE-HANDLED TRANSURANIC WASTE EXPERIMENTS AT THE WASTE ISOLATION PILOT PLANT (WIPP)** MARTIN A. MOLECKE Sandia National Laboratories, Department 6345, Albuquerque, NM 87185 USA ABSTRACT Multi-year, simulated remote-handled transuranic waste (RH TRU, nonradioactive) experiments are being conducted underground in the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) facility. These experiments involve the near-reference (thermal and geometrical) testing of eight fullsize RH TRU test containers emplaced into horizontal, unlined rock salt boreholes. Half of the test emplacements are partially filled with bentonite/silica-sand backfill material. All test containers were electrically heated at about 1] 5 W/each for three years, then raised to about 300 W/each for the remaining time. Each test borehole was instrumented with a selection of remote-reading thermocouples, pressure gages, borehole vertical-closure gages, and vertical and horizontal borehole-diameter closure gages. Each test emplacements was also periodically opened for visual inspections of brine intrusions and any interactions with waste package materials, materials sampling, manual closure measurements, and observations of borehole changes. Effects of heat on borehole closure rates and near-field materials (metals, backfill, rock salt, and intruding brine) interactions were closely monitored as a function of time. This paper summarizes results for the first five years of in situ test operation with supporting instrumentation and laboratory data and interpretations. Some details of RH TRU waste package materials, designs, and assorted underground test observations are also discussed. Based on the results, the tested RH TRU waste packages, materials, and emplacement geometry in unlined salt boreholes appear to be quite adequate for initial WIPP repository-phase operations. INTRODUCTION We are conducting nonradioactive, simulated remote-handled transuranic waste (RH TRU) experiments underground in the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP). These experiments have been in heated operation since September, 1986. These experiments involve the testing of eight full-size RH TRU containers emplaced into horizontal, unlined rock salt boreholes in the ribs, or walls, of WIPP underground Room T. This test room has the same physical dimensions as the actual transuranic waste storage rooms planned for the WIPP facility. Test conditions were designed to be "near-reference" with respect to anticipated thermal outputs of RH TRU containers and their geometrical spacing or layout in WIPP repository rooms. Simulated RH TRU waste experiments were an important segment of the Sandia National Laboratories-WIPP Waste Package Performance (WPP) program. This program included the direction and performance of all materials-related, and associated technical operations-related, in situ testing on both simulated remote-handled and simulated contact-handled (CH) TRU waste containers and emplacements.' The predominant goals of the WIPP WPP testing program were to provide: comprehensiv
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