Abstract
High Temperature cameras allow ideal visual inspection and verification in extreme temperature environments. A unique fused glass seal provides an impenetrable safety barrier between the camera electronics and the harsh process environments. The camera is protected from high temperatures, fumes and radiation. The dynamic imaging system provides a live view of the process, and analyzes the process by generating critical real time measurement data.
In nuclear waste vitrification, radioactive material is heated with glass forming additives and poured into a containment vessel to cool into a uniform glass product. The use of high temperature camera systems allows verification that the melting and cooling processes are uniform and repeatable, by providing a live view and analysis of the process. This allows for maximum efficiency and safety, while maximizing the percentage of waste that can be immobilized in the glass product.
The paper outlines the critical steps in the disposal of nuclear waste, including the vitrification processes. The strategies used to ensure process safety and efficiency are examined and the critical measurements in each step are determined. It is demonstrated that High Temperature cameras are a useful tool for monitoring those critical measurements to improve the processes of nuclear waste vitrification.
