Decontamination and decommissioning of experimental DUPIC equipment at PIEF 9405 hot cell

The concept of DUPIC (Direct Use of Spent PWR Fuel in CANDU Reactors) is a dry processing technology to manufacture CANDU compatible DUPIC fuel from spent PWR fuel material. Before the main DUPIC experiment using the large amount of spent PWR fuel, it was necessary to carry out preliminary experiment using the small amount of spent PWR fuel. Therefore, characterization experiment for powder and sintered fuel had been performed using about 1 kg-U spent PWR fuel at No. 9405 hot-cell in PIEF(Post Irradiated Experiment Facility) since early in 1999. In the hot-cell, cutting of spent PWR rods, manufacturing of DUPIC powder, green pellets, sintered pellets, and characterization tests were carried out. The forms of nuclear material in the hot-cell are rod-cut, powder, green pellet, sintered pellet, scraps, samples, etc. The installed equipment in hot-cell are the cutting device of spent fuel rod, OREOX furnace, mixer, press, sintering furnace, measurement device, etc. Currently, the experiments in PIEF have been completed. It was necessary to dismantle and decontaminate the installed equipment. In order to dismantle this experimental equipment, dismantlement plan, weighing, packing, transportation of the nuclear material are required. Also, the decontamination/dismantlement of the utility equipment, the packing and transportation of the dismantlement wastes should be performed. Since all of DUPIC equipment in hot-cell are contaminated by highly radioactive material, the decontamination and dismantlement must be performed remotely by M/S manipulator. During the packing and transportation of radioactive waste, the reduction method of radiation exposure to operator has to be considered