Segmentation and Removal of the Carolinas-Virginia Tube Reactor (CVTR) Moderator Tank

Abstract

Special tooling has been deployed to segment the Moderator Tank (MT) at the Carolinas-Virginia Tube Reactor (CVTR) Parr site near Jenkinsville, South Carolina. The MT or reactor vessel, the most activated component remaining on site which included over 1,000 Ci of activation products, has been segmented into sections to fit within three hardware liners and three custom boxes. This work has been completed in approximately 12 months from tool conception to final packaging with no spread of contamination, no generation of secondary wastes and minimizing personnel radiological exposure. With contact dose readings in excess of 90 R/hr, segmentation of the MT had to be performed remotely and with the assurance that the spread of contamination to otherwise clean areas of the reactor building did not occur. Additionally, since the MT was entombed within a bioshield not capable of containing water, cutting had to be performed dry without benefit of shielding typically provided by the water of a spent fuel pool. In addition, the component removal scope included the removal, packaging and disposal of other activated components including thermal shields and the steel liner from the internal face of the bioshield. Concept engineering began in January 2006. Tools were tested and delivered in May 2006. Segmentation was completed in December 2006, followed by the removal of the thermal shields and bioshield liner. The component removal work was completed without the spread of contamination, no generation of secondary waste and an exposure total of 17 person rem.