Towards a circular economy for PET bottle resin using a system dynamics inspired material flow model
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Sandia National Laboratories is a multimission laboratory managed and operated by National Technology & Engineering Solutions of Sandia, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Honeywell International Inc., for the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration. The National Nuclear Security Administration’s Sandia Field Office administers the contract and oversees contractor operations at Sandia National Laboratories, New Mexico. Activities at the site support research and development programs with a wide variety of national security missions, resulting in technologies for nonproliferation, homeland security, energy and infrastructure, and defense systems and assessments. The U.S. Department of Energy and its management and operating contractor are committed to safeguarding the environment, assessing sustainability practices, and ensuring the validity and accuracy of the monitoring data presented in this annual site environmental report. This report summarizes the environmental protection and monitoring programs in place at Sandia National Laboratories, New Mexico, during calendar year 2022. Environmental topics include cultural resource management, chemical management, air quality, ecology, environmental restoration, oil storage, site sustainability, terrestrial surveillance, waste management, water quality, and implementation of the National Environmental Policy Act. This report is prepared in accordance with and as required by DOE O 231.1B, Admin Change 1, Environment, Safety and Health Reporting, and has been approved for public distribution.
Sandia National Laboratories is a multimission laboratory managed and operated by National Technology & Engineering Solutions of Sandia, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Honeywell International Inc., for the. U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration. The National Nuclear Security Administration’s Sandia Field Office administers the contract and oversees contractor operations at Sandia National Laboratories, Tonopah Test Range. Activities at the site are conducted in support of U.S. Department of Energy weapons programs and have operated at the site since 1957. The U.S. Department of Energy and its management and operating contractor are committed to safeguarding file environment, assessing sustainability practices, and ensuring the validity and accuracy of the monitoring data presented in this annual site environmental report. This report summarizes the environmental protection, restoration, and monitoring programs in place at Sandia National Laboratories, Tonopah Test Range during calendar year 2022. Environmental topics include cultural resource management, chemical management, air quality, ecology, environmental restoration, oil storage, site sustainability, terrestrial surveillance, waste management, water quality, wastewater discharge, and implementation of the National Environmental Policy Act. This report is prepared in accordance with and as required by DOE 0 231.IB, Admin Change 1, Environment, Safety and Health Reporting and has been approved for public distribution.
Sandia National Laboratories is a multimission laboratory managed and operated by National Technology & Engineering Solutions of Sandia, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Honeywell International Inc., for the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration. The National Nuclear Security Administration’s Sandia Field Office administers the contract and oversees contractor operations at Sandia National Laboratories, Tonopah Test Range. Activities at the site are conducted in support of U.S. Department of Energy weapons programs and have operated at the site since 1957. The U.S. Department of Energy and its management and operating contractor are committed to safeguarding the environment, assessing sustainability practices, and ensuring the validity and accuracy of the monitoring data presented in this annual site environmental report. This report summarizes the environmental protection, restoration, and monitoring programs in place at Sandia National Laboratories, Tonopah Test Range during calendar year 2023. Environmental topics include cultural resource management, chemical management, air quality, ecology, environmental restoration, oil storage, site sustainability, terrestrial surveillance, waste management, water quality, wastewater discharge, and implementation of the National Environmental Policy Act. This report is prepared in accordance with and as required by DOE O 231.1B, Admin Change 1, Environment, Safety and Health Reporting, and has been approved for public distribution.
Sandia National Laboratories is a multimission laboratory managed and operated by National Technology & Engineering Solutions of Sandia, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Honeywell International Inc., for the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration. The National Nuclear Security Administration’s Sandia Field Office administers the contract and oversees contractor operations at Sandia National Laboratories, New Mexico. Activities at the site support research and development programs with a wide variety of national security missions, resulting in technologies for nonproliferation, homeland security, energy and infrastructure, and defense systems and assessments. The U.S. Department of Energy and its management and operating contractor are committed to safeguarding the environment, assessing sustainability practices, and ensuring the validity and accuracy of the monitoring data presented in this annual site environmental report. This report summarizes the environmental protection and monitoring programs in place at Sandia National Laboratories, New Mexico, during calendar year 2023. Environmental topics include cultural resource management, chemical management, air quality, ecology, environmental restoration, oil storage, site sustainability, terrestrial surveillance, waste management, water quality, and implementation of the National Environmental Policy Act. This report is prepared in accordance with and as required by DOE O 231.1B, Admin Change 1, Environment, Safety and Health Reporting, and has been approved for public distribution.
A judicious compilation of generation rates and chemical compositions of potential waste feed streams in a typical crewed space habitat was made in connection with the waste-management aspect of NASA's Physical/Chemical Closed-Loop Life Support Program. Waste composition definitions are needed for the design of waste-processing technologies involved in closing major life support functions in future long-duration human space missions. Tables of data for the constituents and chemical formulas of the following waste streams are presented and discussed: human urine, feces, hygiene (laundry and shower) water, cleansing agents, trash, humidity condensate, dried sweat, and trace contaminants. Tables of data on dust generation and pH values of the different waste streams are also presented and discussed.
A judicious compilation of generation rates and chemical compositions of potential waste feed streams in a typical crewed space habitat was made in connection with the waste-management aspect of NASA's Physical/Chemical Closed-Loop Life Support Program. Waste composition definitions are needed for the design of waste-processing technologies involved in closing major life support functions in future long-duration human space missions. Tables of data for the constituents and chemical formulas of the following waste streams are presented and discussed: human urine, feces, hygiene (laundry and shower) water, cleansing agents, trash, humidity condensate, dried sweat, and trace contaminants. Tables of data on dust generation and pH values of the different waste streams are also presented and discussed.
Viewgraphs and discussion on technologies for Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) evolution are presented. Topics covered include: atmosphere revitalization including CO2 removal, CO2 reduction, O2 generation, and trace contaminant control; water recovery and management including urine processing, hygiene water processing, and potable water processing; and waste management. ECLSS technology schematics, process diagrams, and fluid interfaces are included.
Repository performance confirmation links the technical bases of repository science and societal acceptance. This paper explores the myriad aspects of what has been labeled performance confirmation in U.S. programs, which involves monitoring as a collection of distinct activities combining technical and social significance in radioactive waste management. This paper is divided into four parts: (1) A distinction is drawn between performance confirmation monitoring and other testing and monitoring objectives; (2) A case study illustrates confirmation activities integrated within a long-term testing and monitoring strategy for Yucca Mountain; (3) A case study reviews compliance monitoring developed and implemented for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant; and (4) An approach for developing, evaluating and implementing the next generation of performance confirmation monitoring is presented. International interest in repository monitoring is exhibited by the European Commission Seventh Framework Programme 'Monitoring Developments for Safe Repository Operation and Staged Closure' (MoDeRn) Project. The MoDeRn partners are considering the role of monitoring in a phased approach to the geological disposal of radioactive waste. As repository plans advance in different countries, the need to consider monitoring strategies within a controlled framework has become more apparent. The MoDeRn project pulls together technical and societal experts to assimilate a common understanding of a process that could be followed to develop a monitoring program. A fundamental consideration is the differentiation of confirmation monitoring from the many other testing and monitoring activities. Recently, the license application for Yucca Mountain provided a case study including a technical process for meeting regulatory requirements to confirm repository performance as well as considerations related to the preservation of retrievability. The performance confirmation plan developed as part of the Yucca Mountain license application identified a broad suite of monitoring activities. A revision of the plan was expected to winnow the number of activities down to a manageable size. As a result, an objective process for the next stage of performance confirmation planning was developed as an integral part of an overarching long-term testing and monitoring strategy. The Waste Isolation Pilot Plant compliance monitoring program at once reflects its importance to stakeholders while demonstrating adequate understanding of relevant monitoring parameters. The compliance criteria were stated by regulation and are currently monitored as part of the regulatory rule for disposal. At the outset, the screening practice and parameter selection were not predicated on a direct or indirect correlation to system performance metrics, as was the case for Yucca Mountain. Later on, correlation to performance was established, and the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant continues to monitor ten parameters originally identified in the compliance certification documentation. The monitoring program has proven to be effective for the technical intentions and societal or public assurance. The experience with performance confirmation in the license application process for Yucca Mountain helped identify an objective, quantitative methodology for this purpose. Revision of the existing plan would be based on findings of the total system performance assessment. Identification and prioritization of confirmation activities would then derive from performance metrics associated with performance assessment. Given the understanding of repository performance confirmation, as reviewed in this paper, it is evident that the performance confirmation program for the Yucca Mountain project could be readily re-engaged if licensing activities resumed.
COSI, software developed by the Nuclear Energy Direction of the CEA, is a code simulating a pool of nuclear power plants with its associated fuel cycle facilities. This code has been designed to study various short, medium and long term options for the introduction of various types of nuclear reactors and for the use of associated nuclear materials. In the frame of the French Act for waste management, scenario studies are carried out with COSI, to compare different options of evolution of the French reactor fleet and options of partitioning and transmutation of plutonium and minor actinides. Those studies aim in particular at evaluating the sustainability of Sodium cooled Fast Reactors (SFR) deployment and the possibility to transmute minor actinides. The COSI6 version is a completely renewed software released in 2006. COSI6 is now coupled with the last version of CESAR (CESAR5.3 based on JEFF3.1.1 nuclear data) allowing the calculations on irradiated fuel with 200 fission products and 100 heavy nuclides. A new release is planned in 2013, including in particular the coupling with a recommended database of reactors. An exercise of validation of COSI6, carried out on the French PWR historic nuclear fleet, has been performed. During this exercise quantities like cumulative natural uranium consumption, or cumulative depleted uranium, or UOX/MOX spent fuel storage, or stocks of reprocessed uranium, or plutonium content in fresh MOX fuel, or the annual production of high level waste, have been computed by COSI6 and compared to industrial data. The results have allowed us to validate the essential phases of the fuel cycle computation, and reinforces the credibility of the results provided by the code.
The DOE-EM Office of Tank Waste Management Cementitious Barriers Partnership (CBP) is chartered with providing the technical basis for implementing cement-based waste forms and radioactive waste containment structures for long-term disposal. Therefore, the CBP ultimate purpose is to support progress in final treatment and disposal of legacy waste and closure of High-Level Waste (HLW) tanks in the DOE complex. This status report highlights the CBP 2015 Software and Experimental Program efforts and accomplishments that support DOE needs in environmental cleanup and waste disposal. DOE needs in this area include: Long-term performance predictions to provide credibility (i.e., a defensible technical basis) for regulator and DOE review and approvals, Facility flow sheet development/enhancements, and Conceptual designs for new disposal facilities. In 2015, the CBP developed a beta release of the CBP Software Toolbox – “Version 3.0”, which includes new STADIUM carbonation and damage models, a new SRNL module for estimating hydraulic properties and flow in fractured and intact cementitious materials, and a new LeachXS/ORCHESTRA (LXO) oxidation module. In addition, the STADIUM sulfate attack and chloride models have been improved as well as the LXO modules for sulfate attack, carbonation, constituent leaching, and percolation with radial diffusion (for leaching and transport in cracked cementitious materials). These STADIUM and LXO models are applicable to and can be used by both DOE and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) end-users for service life prediction and long-term leaching evaluations of radioactive waste containment structures across the DOE complex.
On May 2012, Best Medical Belgium S.A. (BMB), a manufacturer of pharmaceutical products located on the nuclear site of Fleurus, was declared bankrupt. According to the Belgian law, ONDRAF/NIRAS (Belgian Radioactive Waste Management Agency) was entrusted with the clean-up and decommissioning operations of the former BMB facilities, nowadays known as 'ONDRAF Site Fleurus' (ONSF). In June 2015, ONSF launched a Decontamination and Decommissioning (D and D) program, for which Tractebel: - Supports the definition of the clean-up and decommissioning strategies; - Drafts the Final Decommissioning Plan (FDP) and Safety Analysis Report (SAR) that will be submitted to FANC/AFCN (Belgian Federal Agency for Nuclear Control) in order to get the License for decommissioning; - Drafts the technical specifications of the public tendering process related to the D and D program; - Ensures the day to-day follow-up of the D and D activities on site. Four nuclear buildings are part of the D and D activities. One of them, building 14 (B14), represents the most challenging and extensive task with the clean-up of highly contaminated areas and its further decommissioning up to the final state. This building features two cyclotrons (CGR and IBA cyclotrons) successively used to produce radioisotopes, as well as hot cells and glove boxes used for their purification and the conditioning of the final pharmaceutical product. The present paper aims at presenting the most recent development steps of the clean-up phase regarding the adaptations of existing facilities and the upcoming activities in preparation of the decommissioning activities. To allow the sorting and the treatment of the radioactive material identified in the physical and radiological inventory, several workshops have been implemented within the B14 building in order to deal with radioactive materials arising from the clean-up and D and D activities. Following the conceptual design phase, Tractebel has actively monitored the on-site activities for the construction of those workshops such as: - The modification of the civil works; - The revamping of the ventilation system; - The installation of dedicated lifting equipment and workstations equipped with cutting devices; - The assembly of a docking station for filling the radioactive packages. The removal of the activated concrete surrounding the IBA cyclotron requires the erection of a containment structure and an extension structure. The containment structure, composed of light metallic beams, is located above the cyclotron and its irradiation zones. For operational security reasons and working efficiency, the cutting process of the concrete ceilings and walls will be performed from the top inside the containment structure by means of an eight tons overhead bridge crane. Concrete blocks resulting from the cutting process will then be lifted, without any loss of containment, towards the extension zone of the nuclear zone of the IBA cyclotron for further resizing, sorting and evacuation towards the identified waste routes. To prepare this task which will be performed during the decommissioning phase, Tractebel sets up the necessary technical specifications. (authors)
During a removal of legacy materials from one hot cell at the Idaho National Laboratory in 2010, five metal capsules and some loose zeolite material were identified as krypton (Kr) immobilization test specimens produced in the late 1970s under the Airborne Waste Management Program (AWMP). This AWMP research and development effort examined the encapsulation of 85Kr within a collapsed zeolite structure for use as a potential waste form for long-term storage. The recovered capsules appeared to have been placed to the side and remained untouched after the AWMP was halted in the mid-1980s. These reclaimed capsules and loose material presented a unique opportunity to study a potential 85 Kr waste form after three half-lives had elapsed. The first phase of this study included two parts: The first was to assess the physical condition of the capsule walls, and the second was to examine the Kr-containing material within the capsules. The first part of this study was previously reported and noted that substantial corrosion was observed throughout each capsule wall of the two previously breached capsules that were examined. One of these capsules had been hot isostatic pressed (HIPed) and one was not HIPed. The second part of the study examined the materials contained in the two previously breached capsules. There appears to be a relatively uniform distribution of Kr and rubidium throughout the pellets examined. The chemical composition of the pellets appears to be consistent with 5A molecular sieves. The material contained within the HIPed capsules showed ~1 at. % lead (Pb). The origin of the Pb is currently indeterminate. X-ray diffraction analysis shows a significant shift from the 5A structure, most likely due to the Kr encapsulation/sintering process that occurred when the samples were made. Calculations based on the energy dispersive spectrometry elemental analysis show a residual Kr level within the pellets that is within a factor of 2 of the reported Kr capacities for this type of processed material. This provides a clear indication that a significant fraction of the Kr initially encapsulated in the material remained within the waste form even following a significant breach of the capsule wall. As a result, it would appear that this Kr immobilization method, even in non-HIPed form, is very promising as a waste form for long-term storage. The successful analysis of these two breached capsules forms a solid basis for the future analysis of the remaining unbreached capsules, which offers the opportunity to provide an even more complete understanding of the long-term Kr retention performance of this promising waste form.
Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer We analyze two decades of landfill mining research regarding trends and topics. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer So far landfill mining has mainly been used to solve waste management issues. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer A new perspective on landfills as resource reservoirs is emerging. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The potential of resource extraction from landfills is significant. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer We outline several key challenges for realization of resource extraction from landfills. - Abstract: Landfills have historically been seen as the ultimate solution for storing waste at minimum cost. It is now a well-known fact that such deposits have related implications such as long-term methane emissions, local pollution concerns, settling issues and limitations on urban development. Landfill mining has been suggested as a strategy to address such problems, and in principle means the excavation, processing, treatment and/or recycling of deposited materials. This study involves a literature review on landfill mining covering a meta-analysis of the main trends, objectives, topics and findings in 39 research papers published during the period 1988-2008. The results show that, so far, landfill mining has primarily been seen as a way to solve traditional management issues related to landfills such as lack of landfill space and local pollution concerns. Although most initiatives have involved some recovery of deposited resources, mainly cover soil and in some cases waste fuel, recycling efforts have often been largely secondary. Typically, simple soil excavation and screening equipment have therefore been applied, often demonstrating moderate performance in obtaining marketable recyclables. Several worldwide changes and recent research findings indicate the emergence of a new perspective on landfills as reservoirs for resource extraction. Although the potential of this approach appears significant, it is argued that facilitating implementation involves a number of research challenges in terms of technology innovation, clarifying the conditions for realization and developing standardized frameworks for evaluating economic and environmental performance from a systems perspective. In order to address these challenges, a combination of applied and theoretical research is required.
This paper provides a process-based examination of the integration of two separate but related software applications into Sandia National Laboratories’ (SNL’s) Radioactive and Mixed Waste Management Facility’s (RMWMF) data management system. First, data collection will be upgraded through the use of a new web-based Waste Description and Disposal Request (WDDR), which SNL personnel whose work creates radioactive and hazardous waste (generators) will use to characterize dozens of specific attributes of each waste parcel. Second, a commercial software package for data storage and manipulation — eMWaste® G2 by Attention IT — will replace two existing software applications and will track all radioactive and mixed waste at Sandia. Integrating these applications into a web-based system will give the RMWMF increased system flexibility, reduced reliance on key personnel, and improved document control, traceability and efficiency. To meet these goals and ensure the applications are developed in an efficient, quality-oriented environment, it is critical to first conduct a thorough evaluation of the affected processes. This paper will analyze the processes supported by the new applications and the requirements for a successful integration. A comprehensive analysis of both project flow and data management requirements, illustrated through original flow diagrams and other charts, will provide support to the development team and programmers as they work to integrate the applications into the new system.
The Cementitious Barriers Partnership (CBP) Project is a multi-disciplinary, multi-institutional collaboration supported by the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Tank Waste Management. The CBP project has developed a set of integrated modeling tools and leaching test methods to help improve understanding and prediction of the long-term hydraulic and chemical performance of cementitious materials used in nuclear applications. State-of-the-art modeling tools, including LeachXS{sup TM}/ORCHESTRA and STADIUM{sup R}, were selected for their demonstrated abilities to simulate reactive transport and degradation in cementitious materials. The new U.S. Environmental Protection Agency leaching test methods based on the Leaching Environmental Assessment Framework (LEAF), now adopted as part of the SW-846 RCRA methods, have been used to help make the link between modeling and experiment. Although each of the CBP tools has demonstrated utility as a standalone product, coupling the models over relevant spatial and temporal solution domains can provide more accurate predictions of cementitious materials behavior over relevant periods of performance. The LeachXS{sup TM}/ORCHESTRA and STADIUM{sup R} models were first linked to the GoldSim Monte Carlo simulator to better and more easily characterize model uncertainties and as a means to coupling the models allowing linking to broader performance assessment evaluations that use CBP results for a source term. Two important degradation scenarios were selected for initial demonstration: sulfate ingress / attack and carbonation of cementitious materials. When sufficient sulfate is present in the pore solution external to a concrete barrier, sulfate can diffuse into the concrete, react with the concrete solid phases, and cause cracking that significantly changes the transport and structural properties of the concrete. The penetration of gaseous carbon dioxide within partially saturated concrete usually initiates a series of carbonation reactions with both dissolved ions and the hydrated cement paste. The carbonation process itself does not have a negative effect, per se, on the paste physical properties and can even result in reduced porosity and can help form a protective layer at the surface of concrete. However, carbonation has been shown to increase leaching of some constituents and can potentially have a detrimental effect on reinforced concrete structures by lowering pH to ca. 9 and de-passivating embedded steel (e.g. rebar) and accelerating corrosion, which are important processes related to high-level waste tank integrity and closure evaluations. The use of the CBP Software Toolbox to simulate these important degradation phenomena for both concrete vaults and high-level waste tanks are demonstrated in this paper. (authors)
An Execution Strategy Analysis (ESA) capability and tool are being developed to evaluate alternative execution strategies for the potential future deployment of a consolidated Interim Storage Facility as part of an integrated waste management system. Application of the ESA approach not only leverages but also goes beyond traditional project analysis tools. The ESA tool allows for ongoing performance assessment of the evolving project execution plans that take into account significant assumptions, risks, and uncertainties throughout the project lifecycle. Development and application of the ESA capability and tool continued in 2016, primarily focusing on enhancing its flexibility to model a range of scenarios regarding how an integrated system for managing spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste could be deployed. (authors)
The research conducted in this work package is to collect data in support of future development of ceramic waste forms and to help develop the next generation high performance waste management technologies. This work package collaborates closely with the work conducted under “Ceramics - Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) - (FT-15SR030702)” and the NEUP project “Alternative High-Performance Ceramic Waste Forms” – Alfred University (AU) – (DE-AC07-05ID14517)”. The Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) is focusing on characterization and testing procedure on the reference crystalline ceramics to further develop the crystalline ceramic waste form to incorporate combined HLW raffinate stream and/or TRU stream from fuels fabrication processes. In Fiscal Year 2015, we are mainly working on cold crucible induction melter (CCIM) test multi-phase crystalline ceramic waste form samples and single phase hollandite materials. Various characterization techniques (including X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy) were used to characterize CCIM samples. For the radiation stability test, in situ radiation techniques were employed to simulate self-radiation in waste form samples.