Using the Vitrification Test Rig for Process Improvements on the Waste Vitrification Plants

Abstract

The Vitrification Test Rig (VTR) is a full scale non-active waste vitrification plant (WVP), that replicates the lines used for immobilising highly active reprocessing waste at Sellafield in the UK. In the high level waste (HLW) vitrification process, liquid HLW is dried in a rotating tube furnace then mixed with an alkali borosilicate glass frit. This mixture is heated to form a homogeneous product glass that is poured, cooled and stored in steel canisters. The primary function of the VTR is to trial and develop methods to increase the efficiency of high level waste processing at the active WVP. Efficiency gains are mainly achieved by increasing the rate at which the immobilised product is created and by increasing the ratio of HLW to glass frit in the product. The VTR has also been used to investigate the chemistry of various process additions and conditions, the effects of potential fault scenarios, and the processing of dilute waste streams that will be received by WVP in the future. All of these areas have the potential to improve processing efficiency through the optimisation of process conditions and the minimisation of unplanned plant outages. This paper discusses several VTR campaigns that have led to overall improvements of WVP operation.