Development of melting and incinerating system using plasma arc heating for low level radioactive miscellaneous solid waste

Various low level radioactive miscellaneous solid wastes are stored on sites of nuclear power plants and research laboratories. The volume of these wastes should be reduced before disposal. A wastes processing facility using plasma arc as the heat source is promising to reduce the volume of wastes. Incombustible wastes such as steels and concrete are melted, and non-combustible materials such as plastics and resins are simultaneously incinerated in it. The high energy density of plasma arc results in a short processing time and high volume reduction ratio. The authors have performed design and experimental studies on the facility. This paper describes the objectives and characteristics of the facility, and the major results of the studies. (author)