GB1492458A - Store for waste material - Google Patents

Abstract

1492458 Disposal of radioactive waste KRAFTWERK UNION AG 25 June 1975 [10 July 1974] 27027/75 Heading G6R A store for radioactive waste material comprises walls defining a cavity, a plurality of containers within the cavity accommodating the waste material, and a water-insoluble material provided externally of the containers so as to prevent water contacting the containers and washing the waste material out of the store. Fig. 1 shows a salt mine which contains several cavities in the form of caverns 2, 3, 4 in the rock 1. The waste is transported in containers 15, arriving in shielded wagons 13, and being lowered from a winding tower 9 on to mine cars 16 by which they are carried to the entrances 18 of the caverns. The containers 15 are introduced at random into the caverns and, as shown in cavern 2, the gaps between the containers are filled with a sealing compound 17 which forms a water-insoluble covering around them. Alternatively, as in cavern 3, the wall of the cavern itself is lined with a layer 19 of waterinsoluble material. In cavern 4, the containers 15, in addition to the water-insoluble layer 19 on the inner wall of the cavern are surrounded by sealing compound 17 as in cavern 2. The waterinsoluble may be bitumen, concrete or other liquid, viscous or hardenable materials. The water-insoluble layer may thus be made entirely, or in part, of slag, lime sludge, rubble, &c. optionally in conjunction with binders or agents which promote the fluidity of the mass. Cement for example may be mixed with the above-mentioned industrial waste materials and with water to form a hardenable sealing compound. In alternative embodiments, the cavity lining may in addition to a concrete layer comprise a bitumen layer on the inside of the concrete layer (Fig. 3, not shown) or a concrete layer which is held down by anchors may be arranged on the inside of a bitumen layer (Fig. 4, not shown). As shown in Fig. 5, large containers 42 which have flat walls and are easy to stack may be used. A concrete base 43, together with sealing compound in a lateral gap 44, optionally maintained by spacers 45, forms the waterinsoluble lining on the outside of the containers 42. Gaps 47, 48 filled with sealing compound may also be formed by means of spacers 46 between each row of containers 42.