SRS’s Salt Waste Processing Facility

[Marlin]

SRS's Salt Waste Processing Facility

https://www.ans.org/news/2026-09-15/article-8389/ai-leads-to-improved-efficiency-at-srss-salt-waste-processing-facility/

[Core Content]

Engineers at the Savannah River Site utilized artificial intelligence to diagnose a persistent processing bottleneck at the Salt Waste Processing Facility. The analysis revealed that a mechanical weir was slightly undersized, limiting liquid separation rates. By increasing the weir diameter by one-tenth of an inch, operators boosted the processing rate beyond original design specifications to 23 gallons per minute.

The use of artificial intelligence enabled operators of the Savannah River Site's Salt Waste Processing Facility to make a minuscule mechanical adjustment that resulted in substantially improved efficiency—beyond the design expectations of the facility.

The SWPF, which has been operating since 2021, is used to treat salt waste stored in SRS's radioactive liquid waste tanks. The waste, which originated in chemical separation processes, is pretreated at SWPF to remove cesium and other radionuclides. The pretreated waste is then delivered to the Defense Waste Processing Facility for vitrification.

The old weir design, right, is shown next to the new weir design, which is one-tenth of an inch greater in diameter. (Photo: DOE)

Read the full article at ans.org:
https://www.ans.org/news/2026-09-15/article-8389/ai-leads-to-improved-efficiency-at-srss-salt-waste-processing-facility/