Transport of MAW/LAW granule suspension through pipes into caverns

As an alternative to the processes successfully tested in the FRG in the past for ultimate storage of medium- and low-level radioactive wastes from the reprocessing of nuclear fuel, the containerless storage and solidification of these wastes in caverns is being studied. In this process, preconditioned MAW/LAW granules are mixed with a filler suspension consisting of tritium water and cement and then transported through a vertical pipe from ground level directly into the cavern, where the product solidifies to a quasimonolithic block which has mechanical characteristics similar to those of the surrounding rock. The characteristics, in conjunction with the short time that the cavern is open and the complete filling of the cavern, result in a distinct increase in the stability of an ultimate storage facility while simultaneously reducing the specific cavern volume requirement. Additional advantages offered by this process are the avoidance of underground transportation of the waste as well as the reduction in the radiological exposure of personnel and the environment