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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2016

Utilizing a Novel Acoustic Backscatter Array to Characterize Waste Consolidation and Settling in a Horizontal Flow Clarifier - 16051

As part of a collaboration between the University of Leeds, Sellafield Ltd and MMI Engineering Ltd, bespoke acoustic instrumentation and numerical simulation methods have been established to optimize nuclear legacy waste transfers. Specifically, a new ultrasonic measurement system has been developed, allowing suspended particle concentration and consolidation to be measured remotely. This technology has been combined with computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modelling of settling particulate systems, permitting full characterization, simulation and prediction of sludge separation processes. Presented here are experimental and numerical results on the transport and settling behavior of non-active nuclear-analogue suspensions in two flow geometries: gravitational settling of glass dispersions in a 250-liter column; and transport and sedimentation of flocculated calcite in a close-to-full-scale clarifier (9 m{sup 3} total volume and 4.8 m{sup 2} length). In addition, details of the design, construction and calibration of a custom-built Ultrasonic Array Research Platform (UARP) are described. Settling column results suggested that particle concentration changes could be simulated with good accuracy by a CFD model (developed using the open source OpenFOAM framework) when compared to measured samples. Large-scale clarifier trials were used to assess the effectiveness of the UARP controller with an attached in situ acoustic backscatter array (ABA). The ABA consisted of 8 transducers angled down at 20 deg. to the vertical, pulsing at 2-2.5 MHz in cycles (covering 1.8 m total depth). In comparison to a range of sampled concentrations across the length of the clarifier, results confirmed that the UARP-ABA system was highly successful at characterizing these complex flows over several hours of operation, allowing visualization of depth-wise bulk density changes and bed build-up over time. Collectively, this work highlights the capability of these tools to monitor and optimize a number of current waste transfer operations at Sellafield, with further potential applications for solid-liquid separations across waste, water treatment and minerals engineering industries. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2013

Occupational hygiene in terms of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and bioaerosols at two solid waste management plants in Finland

Highlights: ► Odorous VOCs: acetic acid, 2,3-butanedione, ethyl acetate, alpha-pinene and limonene. ► VOC concentrations did not exceed occupational exposure limit concentrations. ► 2,3-Butanedione as the health effecting compound is discussed. ► Endotoxin concentrations may cause health problems in waste treatment. - Abstract: Factors affecting occupational hygiene were measured at the solid waste transferring plant at Hyvinkää and at the optic separation plant in Hämeenlinna. Measurements consisted of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and bioaerosols including microbes, dust and endotoxins. The most abundant compounds in both of the plants were aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons, esters of carboxylic acids, ketones and terpenes. In terms of odour generation, the most important emissions were acetic acid, 2,3-butanedione, ethyl acetate, alpha-pinene and limonene due to their low threshold odour concentrations. At the optic waste separation plant, limonene occurred at the highest concentration of all single compounds of identified VOCs. The concentration of any single volatile organic compound did not exceed the occupational exposure limit (OEL) concentration. However, 2,3-butanedione as a health risk compound is discussed based on recent scientific findings linking it to lung disease. Microbe and dust concentrations were low at the waste transferring plant. Only endotoxin concentrations may cause health problems; the average concentration inside the plant was 425 EU/m{sup 3} which clearly exceeded the threshold value of 90 EU/m{sup 3}. In the wheel loader cabin the endotoxin concentrations were below 1 EU/m{sup 3}. High microbial and endotoxin concentrations were measured in the processing hall at the optic waste separation plant. The average concentration of endotoxins was found to be 10,980 EU/m{sup 3}, a concentration which may cause health risks. Concentrations of viable fungi were quite high in few measurements in the control room. The most problematic factor was endotoxins whose average measured concentrations was 4853 EU/m{sup 3}.

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DOE OSTI2013

A methodology for optimal MSW management, with an application in the waste transportation of Attica Region, Greece

Highlights: • A two-step (strategic and detailed optimal planning) methodology is used for solving complex MSW management problems. • A software package is outlined, which can be used for generating detailed optimal plans. • Sensitivity analysis compares alternative scenarios that address objections and/or wishes of local communities. • A case study shows the application of the above procedure in practice and demonstrates the results and benefits obtained. - Abstract: The paper describes a software system capable of formulating alternative optimal Municipal Solid Wastes (MSWs) management plans, each of which meets a set of constraints that may reflect selected objections and/or wishes of local communities. The objective function to be minimized in each plan is the sum of the annualized capital investment and annual operating cost of all transportation, treatment and final disposal operations involved, taking into consideration the possible income from the sale of products and any other financial incentives or disincentives that may exist. For each plan formulated, the system generates several reports that define the plan, analyze its cost elements and yield an indicative profile of selected types of installations, as well as data files that facilitate the geographic representation of the optimal solution in maps through the use of GIS. A number of these reports compare the technical and economic data from all scenarios considered at the study area, municipality and installation level constituting in effect sensitivity analysis. The generation of alternative plans offers local authorities the opportunity of choice and the results of the sensitivity analysis allow them to choose wisely and with consensus. The paper presents also an application of this software system in the capital Region of Attica in Greece, for the purpose of developing an optimal waste transportation system in line with its approved waste management plan. The formulated plan was able to: (a) serve 113 Municipalities and Communities that generate nearly 2 million t/y of comingled MSW with distinctly different waste collection patterns, (b) take into consideration several existing waste transfer stations (WTS) and optimize their use within the overall plan, (c) select the most appropriate sites among the potentially suitable (new and in use) ones, (d) generate the optimal profile of each WTS proposed, and (e) perform sensitivity analysis so as to define the impact of selected sets of constraints (limitations in the availability of sites and in the capacity of their installations) on the design and cost of the ensuing optimal waste transfer system. The results show that optimal planning offers significant economic savings to municipalities, while reducing at the same time the present levels of traffic, fuel consumptions and air emissions in the congested Athens basin.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2012

Feasibility Study of Pressure Pulsing Pipeline Unplugging Technolgoies for Hanford

The ability to unplug key waste transfer routes is generally essential for successful tank farms operations. All transfer lines run the risk of plugging but the cross site transfer line poses increased risk due to its longer length. The loss of a transfer route needed to support the waste feed delivery mission impacts the cost and schedule of the Hanford clean up mission. This report addresses the engineering feasibility for two pressure pulse technologies, which are similar in concept, for pipeline unplugging.

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DOE OSTI2020

Impact of Permanganate Oxidation of Glycolate on Corrosion of the Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF) Recycle Collection Tank (RCT), Transfer-line and Waste Tank Materials of Construction (MoC)

Savannah River Remediation (SRR) is evaluating the use of glycolic acid to replace formic acid as an alternate reductant for the Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF) at Savannah River Site (SRS). The replacement is aimed at reducing facility hazards, improving pH stability and rheological control, and lowering off gas production. Glycolate, which is the product that may remain, can also be carried downstream to High-Level Waste and Low-Level Waste facilities. Complete oxidation of glycolate and other organic species from the Sludge Receipt and Adjustment Tank (SRAT) may be necessary to minimize thermolytic hydrogen generation that can cause flammability issues. The glycolate oxidation may be performed in the Recycle Collection Tank (RCT). The RCT heel would be adjusted with sodium hydroxide to maintain the solution caustic and sodium nitrite as corrosion inhibitor prior to the addition of condensate that can be from the contents of the Slurry Mix Evaporator Condensate Tank (SMECT) or Offgas Condensate Tank (OGCT). The RCT tank collects the waste to be transferred via the Low Point Pump Pit – Recycle Pump Tank (LPPP-RPT) through a jacketed transfer-line to the Tank Farm facility. Scoping studies were performed to evaluate an oxidizing agent and sodium permanganate was selected as the best option for glycolate destruction. Testing was recommended to determine the impact on the Materials of Construction (MoC) due to the addition of sodium permanganate. The targeted concentration of sodium permanganate used equated to a 7:1 molar permanganate to glycolate ratio (nominally 0.002 M permanganate). However, to conservatively maximize the permanganate corrosivity, in some cases no glycolate was added.

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NASA NTRS2005

Utilizing Radioisotope Power System Waste Heat for Spacecraft Thermal Management

An advantage of using a Radioisotope Power System (RPS) for deep space or planetary surface missions is the readily available waste heat, which can be used for a number of beneficial purposes including: maintaining electronic components within a controlled temperature range, warming propulsion tanks and mobility actuators, and maintaining liquid propellants above their freezing temperature. Previous missions using Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators (RTGs) dissipated large quantities of waste heat due to the low efficiency of the thermoelectric conversion technology. The next generation RPSs, such as the 110-Watt Stirling Radioisotope Generator (SRG110) will have higher conversion efficiencies, thereby rejecting less waste heat at a lower temperature and may require alternate approaches to transferring waste heat to the spacecraft. RTGs, with efficiencies of ~6 to 7 percent, reject their waste heat at the relatively high heat rejection temperature of 200 C. This is an advantage when rejecting heat to space; however, transferring heat to the internal spacecraft components requires a large and heavy radiator heat exchanger. At the same time, sensitive spacecraft instruments must be shielded from the thermal radiation of the RTG. The SRG110, with an efficiency around 22 percent and 50 C nominal housing surface temperature, can readily transfer the available waste heat directly via heat pipes, thermal straps, or fluid loops. The lower temperatures associated with the SRG110 avoid the chances of overheating other scientific components, eliminating the need for thermal shields. This provides the spacecraft designers more flexibility when locating the generator for a specific mission. A common misconception with high-efficiency systems is that there is not enough waste heat for spacecraft thermal management. This paper will dispel this misconception and investigate the use of a high-efficiency SRG110 for spacecraft thermal management and outline potential methods of waste heat utilization in several conceptual missions (Lunar Rover, Mars Rover, and Titan Lander). The advantages associated with the SRG110 as they relate to ease of assembly, less complex interfaces, and overall mass savings for a spacecraft will be highlighted.

Pantano, David R.↗
NASA NTRS2005

Utilizing Radioisotope Power System Waste Heat for Spacecraft Thermal Management

One of the advantages of using a Radioisotope Power System (RPS) for deep space or planetary surface missions is the readily available waste heat, which can be used to maintain electronic components within a controlled temperature range, to warm propulsion tanks and mobility actuators, and to gasify liquid propellants. Previous missions using Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators (RTGs) dissipated a very large quantity of waste heat due to the relatively low efficiency of the thermoelectric conversion technology. The next generation RPSs, such as the 110-watt Stirling Radioisotope Generator (SRG110) will have much higher conversion efficiencies than their predecessors and therefore may require alternate approaches to transferring waste heat to the spacecraft. RTGs, with efficiencies of approx. 6 to 7% and 200 C housing surface temperatures, would need to use large and heavy radiator heat exchangers to transfer the waste heat to the internal spacecraft components. At the same time, sensitive spacecraft instruments must be shielded from the thermal radiation by using the heat exchangers or additional shields. The SRG110, with an efficiency around 22% and 50 C nominal housing surface temperature, can use the available waste heat more efficiently by more direct heat transfer methods such as heat pipes, thermal straps, or fluid loops. The lower temperatures allow the SRG110 much more flexibility to the spacecraft designers in configuring the generator without concern of overheating nearby scientific instruments, thereby eliminating the need for thermal shields. This paper will investigate using a high efficiency SRG110 for spacecraft thermal management and outline potential methods in several conceptual missions (Lunar Rover, Mars Rover, and Titan Lander) to illustrate the advantages with regard to ease of assembly, less complex interfaces, and overall mass savings.

Pantano, David R.↗
DOE OSTI2016

Leak Testing with Simulated Waste of Hanford Tank Farm Valves Utilized for Double Valve Isolation - 16108

The existing Hanford Tank Farms Waste Transfer System has several models of ball valves used for double valve isolation (DVI) that have been installed for 10 or more years. The safety function of the safety-significant valves is to limit leakage of waste past the valves in order to decrease the consequences of a fine spray release due to a transfer misroute. While previous leak testing of the valves has been conducted, the testing did not address concerns in the Documented Safety Analysis concerns about the impact on valve operation and service life of the potential abrasive/erosive properties of the tank waste on the valves when cycled. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) conducted DVI tests at their Multi-Phase Transport Evaluation Loop Facility. Testing evaluated the leak rate of safety-significant isolation valves for DVI as a function of simulated operating cycles. PNNL developed a performance-based simulant specifically for this test program. The test environment simulated the abrasive characteristics of the Hanford Tank Farms Waste Transfer System during single-shell tank retrieval and waste feed delivery to the Hanford Tank Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant. The testing consisted of periodically measuring leak rates and maximum operational torques on the DVI valves after prescribed numbers of valve operational cycles (open and close). The test results from the simulant cycle tests provide Washington River Protection Solutions with performance characteristics that can be used to verify compliance with the Documented Safety Analysis limits for valve seat leakage. (authors)

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DOE OSTI2020

Waste Shielded Casks Transfer by Funicular from the Surface to Disposal Level in Cigeo - 20007

Andra is completing the detailed engineering phase of Cigeo - the French HLW and ILW-LL DGR. A funicular system is dedicated to the transfer of the waste disposal containers from the surface to the underground infrastructures down the nuclear access ramp. This paper explains the rationale having led to the choice of a funicular and presents the advantages of this system. Main technical components and mechanical performance of the funicular system are then detailed. Lastly, the ongoing two stages qualification testing program managed by Andra (in order to reach a level 6 on the international Technology Readiness Level scale) is discussed. (authors)

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DOE OSTI2018

On-Line Monitoring and Real-Time Characterization of Low Level Waste and Off-Gas Condensate Samples using Raman Spectroscopy

The demand for Hanford waste property analysis is expected to significantly increase as the U.S. Department of Energy River Protection Project progresses toward transferring waste to the Hanford Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant. The analysis of waste includes chemical, radionuclide, and physical property characterizations, with the goal of achieving safe/informed transfer and processing. Waste sampling followed by offline laboratory analysis is the current baseline analytical approach. The addition of field-deployed/in situ instruments has the potential to provide improvements and benefits over offline analysis in the areas of 1) Worker Safety: by reducing the need for sampling and thereby reducing the need for worker interaction with waste during sample handling; 2) Operational Efficiency: by reducing analysis turnaround times and offsetting demand on analytical laboratories; and 3) Accuracy: continuous analysis of a flowing waste stream allows cumulative results to be produced for the batch, which is likely to be more representative than discrete samples of batch properties. This paper describes the development and application of an online monitor to provide chemical characterizations; specifically, Raman spectroscopy is utilized to identify and quantify tank components. Accurate quantification is achieved through the use of chemometric analysis, which can be configured to provide real-time analysis in field deployment settings.

Lines, Amanda M.↗
DOE OSTI2019

On-Line Monitoring and Real-Time Characterization of Low Level Waste and Off-Gas Condensate Samples using Raman Spectroscopy - 19274

The demand for Hanford waste property analysis is expected to significantly increase as the U.S. Department of Energy River Protection Project progresses toward transferring waste to the Hanford Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant. The analysis of waste includes chemical, radionuclide, and physical property characterizations, with the goal of achieving safe/informed transfer and processing. Waste sampling followed by offline laboratory analysis is the current baseline analytical approach. The addition of field-deployed/in situ instruments has the potential to provide improvements and benefits over offline analysis in the areas of 1) Worker Safety: by reducing the need for sampling and thereby reducing the need for worker interaction with waste during sample handling; 2) Operational Efficiency: by reducing analysis turnaround times and offsetting demand on analytical laboratories; and 3) Accuracy: continuous analysis of a flowing waste stream allows cumulative results to be produced for the batch, which is more representative than discrete samples of batch properties. This paper describes the development and application of an online monitor to provide chemical characterizations; specifically, Raman spectroscopy is utilized to identify and quantify tank components. Accurate quantification is achieved through the use of chemometric analysis, which can be configured to provide real-time analysis in field deployment settings. (authors)

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DOE OSTI2019

Development of Robotic Crawlers for Inspection of Radioactive Waste Tanks and Transfer Lines - 19573

The leaks in the primary liner of Double Shell Tank (DST) 241-AY-102 have motivated a number of research efforts to develop inspection tools that can obtain information regarding the integrity of the Hanford DSTs. Recently, there have been additional concerns regarding the DST secondary liners as well various pipelines within the waste transfer system. Over the past few years, Florida International University (FIU) has developed a pneumatic pipe crawler that can navigate through 3- and 4-inch diameter pipes and provide visual feedback while traveling through pipelines in excess of 100 feet and multiple 90 degree elbows. Recent updates to the crawler include a new sensor module that can provide information regarding environmental conditions within the pipeline and a mapping of the interior surface of the line. The sensor module is a carousel type device that can rotate 360 degrees and is placed near the front of the 3- and 4- inch crawler. The module can house a number of sensors including temperature, pressure, radiation, Lidar, optical camera and an inertial measurement unit (IMU). The intent of the module is to improve the functionality of the crawler by providing environmental conditions within the pipe and internal surface topography maps that can assist in understanding potential wear, pitting or thinning of the pipe. In addition to the 3- and 4-inch crawler, FIU is developing a 6-inch crawler that utilizes the same principles as the smaller unit. The objective of this tool is to navigate through the 6-inch drain lines leading to the drain channels within the foundation underneath the secondary liner of the DSTs. This crawler will house a miniature rover that will be deployed at the end of the drain pipe, where it connects to the foundation. The miniature rover will operate upside down, via magnets, underneath the secondary liner within the drain slots and provide visual information regarding the condition of the secondary liner. Thinning of the secondary liner has been noted from the annulus of the some of the DSTs, but it is unclear if the thinning is isolated to locations near the annulus. (authors)

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DOE OSTI2025

Blending as an In-Tank Waste Processing Strategy: Year 1 Progress Report

The Hanford Site stores approximately 56 million gallons of radioactive legacy defense waste in underground tanks. Direct feed of southeast quadrant tank waste to a high-level waste treatment facility is currently being explored to accelerate tank treatment activities. This study seeks to de-risk waste transfers by favorably altering the resuspension and critical velocities of wastes through strategic waste blending. Wastes rich in aluminum- and zirconium-bearing solids pose significant risks due to their high settled strength and density. A series of tests explores how solid phase particle size and suspending phase chemistry alter waste transport properties, quantified through the just-suspended mixing speed (NJS), for pure and blended aluminum- and zirconium-bearing waste solid simulants. The study utilizes a range of gibbsites (three sizes spanning 10 to 90 µm) and zirconia solids (three sizes spanning 10 to 100 µm). As expected, the NJS of pure solids largely follows predictions based on literature correlations; blends of gibbsite and zirconium-bearing solids of differing particle sizes exhibit NJS maxima attributed to dense packing of the mixed-size settled solids. The findings of this study will assist in developing strategies to optimize the transport of waste solids for the safe and efficient delivery of tank waste.

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DOE OSTI2013

Waste Management Improvement Initiatives at Atomic Energy of Canada Limited - 13091

Atomic Energy of Canada Limited's (AECL) Chalk River Laboratories (CRL) has been in operation for over 60 years. Radioactive, mixed, hazardous and non-hazardous wastes have been and continue to be generated at CRL as a result of research and development, radioisotope production, reactor operation and facility decommissioning activities. AECL has implemented several improvement initiatives at CRL to simplify the interface between waste generators and waste receivers: - Introduction of trained Waste Officers representing their facilities or activities at CRL; - Establishment of a Waste Management Customer Support Service as a Single-Point of Contact to provide guidance to waste generators for all waste management processes; and - Implementation of a streamlined approach for waste identification with emphasis on early identification of waste types and potential disposition paths. As a result of implementing these improvement initiatives, improvements in waste management and waste transfer efficiencies have been realized at CRL. These included: 1) waste generators contacting the Customer Support Service for information or guidance instead of various waste receivers; 2) more clear and consistent guidance provided to waste generators for waste management through the Customer Support Service; 3) more consistent and correct waste information provided to waste receivers through Waste Officers, resulting in reduced time and resources required for waste management (i.e., overall cost); 4) improved waste minimization and segregation approaches, as identified by in-house Waste Officers; and 5) enhanced communication between waste generators and waste management groups. (authors)

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DOE OSTI2020

Efficient Mesofluidic Separation of Large Particles in nuclear slurries - 20408

Efficient and effective particle separation is essential to cleanup of many nuclear wastes. For example, particle separation may be used to accelerate settle-decant bottlenecks that limit the throughput necessary to achieve the U.S. Department of Energy waste cleanup mission in a timely manner. Particle separation may be used to protect downstream processing equipment from pulses of solids that may be encountered near (within a few feet of) liquid-solid interfaces during waste transfer operations, thereby preventing work stoppages. Effective particle separation may permit efficient sludge washing. These are only a few of the ways in which particle separation is important. Yet, efficient and effective particle separation in nuclear processing environments remains challenging. For example, settle-decant operations permit larger and heavier particles to settle, leaving smaller, lighter particles suspended. However, settle-decant operations are slow, convection currents may resuspend solids, hindered settling of multicomponent slurries remains incompletely understood, and predictive models for settling in graduated cylinders fail to match limited observations of settling in large waste tanks. Additionally, pumping operations can cause turbulent resuspension of particles when the pump intake is close to the settled solids layer. Filtration techniques that use membranes or partially permeable barriers retain larger particles, permitting smaller particles to permeate. However, filters, including dead-end filtration, are prone to clogging and caking, operate at elevated pressures due to minimal void volume, and increase in pressure during operations, which require more control systems. Therefore, the need for high throughput particle separation techniques that operate with modest pressure drops persists. A novel mesofluidic separator presents the opportunity to effectively and efficiently accelerate the waste cleanup mission. The separator separates large particles from process streams across a broad range of particle sizes and has no moving parts or media to replace, regenerate, or clean. This separator design has an unusually large void volume, permitting operation at much higher flow rates (and lower pressures) than traditional filtration (e.g., dead-end filtration). Industrial-scale flow rates have been demonstrated. In performance testing, mesofluidic separators operate at might flow rates (>90 gpm (0.0006 m{sup 3}/s) in piping 3 inches (0.08 m) in diameter; Re>10{sup 5}), with modest pressure drop (∼25 psi (170 KPa) in testing). In complex, aggregating waste simulants, the separator loses <25% of flow projected over months without back pulsing or chemical cleaning. Mesofluidic separation presents infrastructure advantages, reduces risk, and provides mission impact. Infrastructure advantages include implementation within existing transfer systems, plug and play without facility modifications to safety systems, and operation at low pressures. The separator is flexible in location, may be positioned within or outside of waste tanks, and may replace or augment dead-end and cross-flow filters. Mesofluidic separation reduces risk by minimizing waste (no media to replace or regenerate and no cleaning chemicals to handle and dispose) and by minimizing filter change-out consistent with as low as reasonably achievable (ALARA) exposure to workers. The potential mission impact of these separators is substantial. The separator has potential to support, simplify, and accelerate in-farm transfers and waste feed delivery. Furthermore, the separator can free up settling and holding tanks in the Direct Feed Low-Activity Waste (DFLAW) mission by reducing or eliminating post-transfer settling and wait times with the potential to free up 1 Mgal (4000 m{sup 3}) of double-shell tank space. This paper quantitatively compares mesofluidic separation to dead-end filtration, discusses scale-up results, and considers the separator's potential to efficiently and effectively reduce the long-term environmental ability of particulate-rich nuclear wastes. (authors)

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DOE OSTI2019

Development of Waste Disposal Strategy for RH LLW Stored in the ATR Canal - 19453

The Advanced Test Reactor (ATR), located at Idaho National Laboratory (INL), is 250 megawatt research reactor designed and operated for the United States Department of Energy for irradiation testing of advanced nuclear fuels and material samples. The pressurized light-water moderated and cooled reactor achieved criticality in 1967. It is designed to allow high neutron flux irradiation of structural materials and nuclear fuels to replicate long-term exposure of materials in traditional lower-flux reactor cores. The ATR also produces rare isotopes for the use in the medical and other industries. The ATR is one of only four reactors in the world with this high-flux irradiation capability. Adjacent to the ATR is a water-filled canal which is used to handle casks, prepare experiments, perform irradiation experiments, and store irradiated components generated from reactor operations. The canal is used to store irradiated (activated) metals that are subsequently determined to be waste. In many instances, these items are too radioactive to remove from the canal and remain in temporary storage until a sufficient decay period has elapsed to where they can be safely removed. The more highly-radioactive remote-handled (RH) waste items requiring hundreds of years to decay have been in storage in the canal since the first ATR core internal changeout (CIC) which was conducted in the 1970's. The INL has recently completed construction and startup of a new Remote-Handled Low-Level Waste (RH LLW) Disposal Facility, which will serve as the final disposal capability for legacy RH (greater than 200 mR/hr on contact) metal waste currently stored in the canal. The ATR will need to develop a method for packaging, characterizing, removing, and shipping this material to the new disposal facility. Based on the configuration of the new disposal cells at the RH LLW Disposal Facility, the ATR must produce an entire new process for handing and packaging the legacy RH waste and preparing it for transport and final disposal. The ATR Canal RH LLW Cleanup Project scope is to develop the processes, tools, and equipment for safely sizing, packaging, and removing RH LLW from the canal. This paper presents highlights and challenges the project faces to develop and implement this capability: - Designing new tools, fabricating new equipment, and implementing new processes at an active Hazard Category-I nuclear facility. - Ensuring new equipment and tools are compatible with the existing equipment and processes at both the generator and the disposal facilities. - Sizing legacy waste under water using remote tools and equipment to minimize void space in waste disposal canisters while ensuring as low as reasonably achievable (ALARA) goals are met. - Loading waste containers underwater and preparing them to meet the liquid-free criteria of the disposal facility waste acceptance criteria (WAC). - Providing a new shielded transport container to transfer waste from ATR to the new on-site RH LLW Disposal Facility. (authors)

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DOE OSTI2015

Control room consolidation at Hanford tank farms for improved conduct of operation - 15345

Washington River Protection Solutions (WRPS) manages the underground waste storage tanks at the Hanford site in Washington State on behalf of the DOE Office of River Protection. There are 177 tanks distributed among 18 tank farms spread across an area of desert scrub covering about 20 square miles. A single evaporator facility supports the tanks to provide waste reduction activities. Farms and associated equipment, including exhausters, have been operated locally since installation. Upgrades over time introduced limited automation, but using inconsistent platforms, and providing isolated control locations around the farms. However, as the Tank Farms move from maintenance operations to production operations, with increased numbers of waste transfers and evaporator campaigns, and also prepare for integration with the adjacent Hanford Waste Treatment Plant, then operational improvements were planned and are being implemented. Infrastructure improvement projects included upgrades of control systems to a common platform, and installation of a fiber optic based local area network to the majority of farms, which together provided a distributed control system supporting tank farms. This new infrastructure provided the basis to propose consolidation of control and monitoring operations to a single location. More than a single location, the new Central Control Room was to increase effectiveness of operations by providing full status of all activities being performed across the Tank Farms and the Evaporator. The recent addition of productivity e-tools also would provide capability for management, supervisors and operators to make informed decisions regarding facility operations, through custom online applications designed to provide real time information derived from operational data. For example, tracking turnover activities between shifts, and maintaining compliance with limited conditions for operations. The Central Control Room would also have a single supervisor able to effectively manage the status of all assets and processes. The expected benefits of this arrangement include increased operator utility, increased situational awareness, improved response time for upset conditions, improvement in operator environment, and reductions in operating costs. The projected ROI for the Central Control Room when fully operational was projected to be about two years based on reduced costs from freeing up operations staff to perform other work plus the time and material savings realized by operations being performed with increased situational awareness. So the Central Control Room would become a hub for monitoring and controlling facility operations while responding to real time information affecting productivity and performance, from a centralized location customized to a fresh working environment. Over a 14-month period, WRPS developed the concept and engineering, procured over 500 items, modified and installed in renovated building, and completed transition and testing of this new Central Control Room, turning over the initial phase to Operations for 24/7 use in April 2014. (authors)

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