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download a 300 dpi image, select a
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or the download link beneath
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right-click on the image and
select "save
image as" (Netscape) or "save picture as" (Internet Explorer)
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drive. Please note that this
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Usage
Notice: The photographs in this archive are
provided courtesy of the U.S. Department of Energy
and are provided solely for recognized news organizations,
students, partners and vendors to illustrate articles,
graphics, editorials or videos that pertain to the
Savannah River Site. Other commercial uses are prohibited.
Photo manipulation, other than standard resizing,
is prohibited.
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Defense
Waste Processing Facility (DWPF)
DWPF treats
the highly radioactive material
by mixing a sand-like borosilicate
glass (called "frit")
with the waste. The waste/frit
mixture is then sent to the
plant’s
65-ton steel and ceramic melter.
In the melter, electricity
is used to heat the mixture
to nearly 2,100 degrees Fahrenheit
until molten. This molten glass-waste
mixture is poured into stainless
steel canisters to cool and
harden. Each canister is 10
feet tall and 2 feet in diameter;
it takes approximately 24 hours
to fill one canister. A filled
DWPF canister weighs about
5,000 pounds. The exterior
of each canister is blasted
with frit to remove contamination,
then welded shut using a current
of 250,000 amps applied for
1.5 seconds, while 80,000 pounds
of force simultaneously rams
a plug into place. The resulting
weld is as strong as the three-eighths-inch
thick stainless steel canister
itself. |
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Remotely
Controlled Defense Waste Processing
Facility (DWPF) Canisters
Scientists have long considered the glassification process, called "vitrification," as
the preferred option for immobilizing high-level radioactive liquids into a
more stable, manageable form until a federal repository is ready.
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Applied
Research and Development
The Savannah River National
Laboratory (SRNL) is recognized as a world-class center of excellence for
the development and application of unique and innovative science and technology
solutions. These key elements are vital to our customers' success. |
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Moving
Spent Fuel within a Storage Basin
The Savannah River Site provides for safe receipt and interim storage of irradiated spent
nuclear fuel. In the past, spent nuclear fuel was stored in underwater
facilities until it was shipped to the site’s canyon facilities for processing.
Now, programmatic decisions have been made to discontinue processing in most
cases, and develop
and implement other methods to treat and dispose of spent nuclear fuel.
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Plutonium "Button"
In the past, solutions transferred from the F
Canyon were concentrated and purified in the FB
Line. Then, in subsequent operations, the plutonium was precipitated, filtered,
dried and finally reduced to metal form, called a button. It is about the size
of a hockey puck. Processing
equipment is enclosed in gloveboxes so that employees and operating areas
are not exposed to the radioactive material. Some operations are automated.
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Environmental
Restoration
From capping waste sites to installing more efficient groundwater treatment units,
the site's program keeps fieldwork-getting the job done-a top priority. The Savannah
River Site’s environmental
restoration employees achieve cleanup results. The SRS program began in the
1980’s with an inventory of 500 acres of waste sites. |
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Environmental
Restoration
Over the years, SRS environmental engineers have worked diligently with the Department
of Energy (DOE), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the South Carolina
Department of Health and Environmental
Control to prioritize and accelerate waste site cleanup activities. |
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Fiber
Optic Sensor Technology
More than 10 years ago the Savannah
River National Laboratory (SRNL) developed and installed its first optical
sensor system. Today, recognized as a pioneer in sensor technology, SRNL has
mastered a broad range of real-time, on-line chemical measuring systems. SRNL's
research and technologies enable others to improve quality and operating efficiency,
while cutting costs.
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Robotic
and Remote Systems
The Savannah
River National Laboratory designs, develops,
fabricates, tests and assists
in the installation and field
operation of unique equipment
systems for use in radioactive,
hazardous or inaccessible environments.
Products are specifically designed
for each application. Examples
include special instrumentation
for radioactive glovebox operations,
radioactive waste tank operations
and unique visual inspection/surveillance
equipment. |
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Environmental
Biotechnology
The Savannah River National
Laboratory has extensive experience in the characterization, development
and deployment of bioremediation processes for a wide variety of contaminants
which commonly plague our environment.
The bio-analytical capabilities of SRNL provide valuable insight into the control
and optimization of these microbial processes. SRNL has earned special recognition,
through patents and publications spanning all aspects of scientific, engineering
and microbiology fields.
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