Evaluation of Fluidized Bed Steam Reforming (FBSR) Technology for Sodium Bearing Wastes from Idaho and Hanford Using the Bench-Top Steam Reformer

摘要

Fluidized Bed Steam Reforming (FBSR) is being considered as a potential technology for the immobilization of a wide variety of radioactive wastes, but especially aqueous high sodium wastes at Hanford, Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL), and the Savannah River Site (SRS). To help the Department of Energy (DOE) make informed decisions about this technology for sodium bearing wastes further experimental data are needed. All work described in this study has been performed with non-radioactive simulants and compared to non-radioactive pilot scale testing at other facilities. The desired plan is to provide a laboratory scale system that correlates to the pilot and plant scale systems such that the chemistry of Fluidized Bed Steam Reforming (FBSR) can be optimized on a small scale, then verified at the pilot scale. Once verified, this will enable laboratory scale demonstrations of actual radioactive wastes. The Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) developed the Bench-top Steam Reformer (BSR) to fill this need. The development of the BSR is the focus of this study. In addition, the characterization of the FBSR products produced in the BSR from simulants of the INEEL Sodium-Bearing Waste (SBW) stream and the Hanford Low Activity Waste (LAW) stream are documented and compared to pilot scale testing of these same simulants at the INEEL pilot-scale test system located at the Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) Science and Technology Applications Research (STAR) Center in Idaho Falls, ID.