Method for reducing radiologically-contaminated waste

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021350945-A1
Application number	US-202016871703-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 11, 2020
Priority date	May 11, 2020
Publication date	Nov 11, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

Provided herein is a method for reducing radiologically-contaminated waste. The method comprises treating radiologically-contaminated surfaces, wherein the radiologically-contaminated surfaces are treated with a surface treatment agent; treating radiologically-contaminated subsurfaces, wherein the radiologically-contaminated subsurfaces are treated with a surface/subsurface treatment agent; consolidating soil waste; employing real-time scanning technology to classify waste, wherein the classifying is based at least in part on a threshold of radiological contamination, and wherein the classified waste is sorted based on the classification; and disposing of the waste via at least one of different disposal routes, based at least in part on the classification.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method for reducing radiologically-contaminated waste, the method comprising:
treating radiologically-contaminated surfaces, wherein the radiologically-contaminated surfaces are treated with a surface treatment agent; treating radiologically-contaminated subsurfaces, wherein the radiologically-contaminated subsurfaces are treated with a surface/subsurface treatment agent; consolidating soil waste; employing real-time scanning technology to classify waste, wherein the classifying is based at least in part on a threshold of radiological contamination, and wherein the classified waste is sorted based on the classification; and disposing of the waste via at least one of different disposal routes, based at least in part on the classification.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the method results in a reduction of waste class comprising a reduction of radiologically-contaminated waste from a first contamination threshold to a second, lower contamination threshold.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein disposing of the reduced radiologically-contaminated waste comprises disposing via a disposal route that corresponds to the reduced waste class.

4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising at least one of pyrolyzing waste and incinerating waste.

5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising characterizing levels of radiological contamination of waste before the treating and consolidating steps.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the real-time scanning technology is employed to consolidate soil waste during the consolidating step.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the real-time scanning technology comprises:
a radiation detector configured to measure radioactivity of waste and a conveyor belt system configured to separate waste based on the measured radioactivity.

8 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising employing the real-time scanning technology to at least one of classify and consolidate non-soil waste that was treated in at least one of the treatment steps.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein treating radiologically-contaminated surfaces comprises disassembling components and treating the components in a bath.

10 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising at least one of shredding and crushing waste.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the surface/subsurface treatment agent and the surface treatment agent are applied via an automated process.

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the surface/subsurface treatment agent and the surface treatment agent comprises at least one of a salt, a surfactant, an acid, a chelator, a wetting agent, and an absorbent gel.

13 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising cementing at least one of liquid and solid waste.

14 . A method for reducing radiologically-contaminated waste, the method comprising:
treating radiologically-contaminated surfaces, wherein the radiologically-contaminated surfaces are treated with a surface treatment agent; treating radiologically-contaminated subsurfaces, wherein the radiologically-contaminated subsurfaces are treated with a surface/subsurface treatment agent; consolidating soil waste; employing real-time scanning technology to classify waste, wherein the classifying is based at least in part on a threshold of radiological contamination, and wherein the classified waste is sorted based on the classification; and disposing of the waste via at least one of different disposal routes, based at least in part on the classification, wherein the method results in a reduction of waste class comprising a reduction of radiologically-contaminated waste from a first contamination threshold to a second lower contamination threshold, and wherein disposing of the reduced radiologically-contaminated waste comprises disposing via a disposal route that corresponds to the reduced waste class.

15 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising at least one of pyrolyzing waste and incinerating waste.

16 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising characterizing levels of radiological contamination of waste before the treating and consolidating steps.

17 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the real-time scanning technology comprises:
a radiation detector configured to measure radioactivity of waste and a conveyor belt system configured to separate waste based on the measured radioactivity.

18 . The method of claim 14 , wherein treating radiologically-contaminated surfaces comprises disassembling components and treating the components in a bath.

19 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising at least one of shredding and crushing waste.

20 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising cementing at least one of liquid and solid waste.

Assignees

• Westinghouse Electric Co Llc

Inventors

• Mahosky Keith

Classifications

• G21F9/004

  of metallic surfaces · CPC title

• G21F9/14

  by incineration; by calcination, e.g. desiccation · CPC title

• G21F9/002 Primary

  Decontamination of the surface of objects with chemical or electrochemical processes · CPC title

• G21F9/32

  by incineration · CPC title

• B07C5/346

  according to radioactive properties {(material testing G01N23/00; radiation measurement G01T)} · CPC title