Glove operation compartment with cuboid cans for efficient handling of size-reduced solid waste generated from plutonium-contaminated glovebox dismantling activities

Iguchi, Satoshi; Yoshida, Masato; Hirano, Hiroshi*; Kitamura, Akihiro  

The size reduced materials resulting from the dismantling of the plutonium-contaminated gloveboxes are eventually packed into the containers as radioactive waste. Conventionally, the execution of this task has been entrusted to workers equipped with air-fed suits, a practice that carries inherent risks, including potential suit damage and inhalation hazards. Moreover, in order to mitigate these risks, the size reduced materials are covered with rags or plastic to enhance safety for workers. However, this approach entails the separation of non-flammable waste and flammable waste during the disposal process. To circumvent these issues, we have designed a glove operation compartment that enables waste handling and packing activities through glove operations instead of air-fed suits. This reduces the risks associated with air-fed suit operations and eliminates the need to cover size reduced materials with rags and plastic. The procedure involves packing the size reduced materials into metal cans, weighing the cans, and storing them in the containers. We tested these operations using the compartment's test bed and modified them through mock-up experiments to ensure feasibility. This report presents the features of the glove operation compartment, the assumed handling procedures, and the insights obtained from the test results.