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Western Europe
Both
the U.S. and Germany have active research and development programs underway in the field
of radioactive waste management. Under a Project Agreement signed between the U.S.
DOE’s National Transportation Program and the Federal Institute for Material Research
and Testing of the Federal Republic of Germany on May 12, 1998, the National
Transportation Program, EM-76 engaged in a cooperation and technical information exchange
to evaluate the safety and efficiency of radioactive materials transport. The objective of
this Project Agreement is to establish a framework for cooperation and technical
assistance related to activities on transportation requirements in the field of management
of radioactive waste. The successful implementation of this Project Agreement will result
in furtherance of both countries’ mutual interest in increasing the effectiveness of
their respective packaging and transportation research and development programs in the
field of management of radioactive waste. The Project Agreement focuses on fracture
mechanics design methodology, seals and other closure mechanisms, risk assessment,
Decontamination and Decommissioning of nuclear facilities, and thermal and structural
analyses.
Contact: K. Kelkenberg, EM-76, 301/903-8113 or Ashok Kapoor, NTPA, 505/845-4574
EM-50 has contracted through the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA), with
AEA Technology, Inc. to jointly identify, modify, and demonstrate technology and processes
in the U.S. AEA Technology has been tasked with evaluating their operating program for
applicability to the U.S. waste cleanup program. Utilizing their broad experience in
nuclear waste programs, AEA Technology and EM-50 Focus Areas have successfully identified
and deployed several technologies supporting high-level waste tanks and D&D. Projects
of special note include:
- Fluidic Pulse Jet Mixer
Successful modification of the
AEA Technology Pulse Jet Mixer has allowed the Oak Ridge site to empty the tanks described
above in preparation for closure. The first closure demonstration at Oak Ridge will be
conducted in 2000.
In 1997, AEA Technology's fluidic pulse jet mixer pump was installed in Bethel Valley
Evaporator Service Tanks (BVESTS) W-21, W-22, and W-23 at the Oak Ridge Reservation. By
modifying the industrial mixing pump to use the BVESTs existing tank infrastructure, money
did not need to be spent on building new tank infrastructure. Also, no moving parts were
introduced into the tank, reducing the amount of required maintenance. Once the waste was
mixed, it was pumped to the Melton Valley Storage Tanks, to be stored until it is treated
and disposed. Overall, about 32,000 gallons of sludge were mobilized and pumped from these
BVESTs.
In February 1999, the Pulse Jet Mixer was deployed in BVEST C-1, and removed all but
about 150 gallons of sludge. The mixer's charge vessels were then moved to BVEST C-2 and
the system completed mobilization and retrieval activities there in March 1999. In each
case, the waste was mobilized and pumped to W-23, where the original mixing system kept
the waste agitated for retrieval and transfer to the Melton Valley storage tanks for
storage/disposal. The mixer's air control system and external are being moved to the new
Melton Valley Capacity Increase Tanks, where a new charge system will be installed to
assist in future retrieval of those tanks.
- Salt Kinetics
AEA Technology is doing salt precipitation
laboratory studies and modeling to allow us to understand how and why solids form during
processing. This is important in understanding why the drain line for the Savannah River
Site (SRS) evaporator plugged, and to understand the line pluggage at Hanford. The Tanks
Focus Area Technical Advisory Group (TAG) recommended the AEA Technology work be rescoped
from dissolving the sludge to precipitation from the liquid, and the resulting studies
have been quite useful. AEA Technology is writing a report currently, due the end of
April, of the work to date, where they are applying the FACSIMILE model to the data to
understand the precipitation kinetics. TFA is conducting a gate review of this work at a
review at Oak Ridge May 19, 1999. For FY2000, we plan to use AEA Technology to assist in
modeling the line plug at SRS, and to model the phosphate system at Hanford.
- SRS Pump Tank Mixer
EM-50’s Tanks Focus Area
has teamed with the Accelerated Site Technology Deployment Program to deploy an AEA
Technology pneumatic mixer into "small" pump tanks at the Savannah River Site in
1999. The pump tanks are an intermediate stage in the waste transfer process – waste
is pumped out of the large storage tanks and into the smaller tanks (hence, "small
pump tanks") before being transferred again for treatment and disposal. The site's
baseline mixers for the pump tanks used propellers, which were not keeping the waste mixed
as thoroughly as desired. This resulted in a layer of heavy sludge buildup on the bottom
of the tank. Through the AEA Technology support in 1998, a prototype mixer was
demonstrated to keep the waste agitated prior to transfer. An AEA Technology full-scale
pump tank mixer has now been delivered to the site and is undergoing operational testing.
- Immobilization Options
AEA Technology is investigating
immobilization options used in the UK for application to U.S. waste disposal requirements.
The goal of this work is to demonstrate a preferred immobilization option for a specific
radioactive waste stream. AEA Technology is conducting initial formulation trials with
Idaho wastes to examine the viability of cement solidification as an alternative to
vitrification, especially where radionuclides with long half-lives are not an issue. The
information derived from these trials will demonstrate technical feasibility and will
allow preliminary process flowsheets to be developed.
- Nested Fluidic Sampler
A feasibility demonstration is
planned for AEA Technology's Nested Fixed Depth Fluidic Sampler to determine its potential
application to the Hanford Site's double-shell tanks. The nested sampler is being
developed in 1999 to support feed staging and waste treatment activities at the Hanford
Site. The nested sampler predecessor, the single point sampler, was successfully deployed
in a Savannah River Site tank in September 1998. The nested fluidic sampler design reduces
maintenance concerns, and allows remote transfer of waste samples, protecting operators
from receiving little, if any, dose. A 30% design review of the fluidic sampler is a TFA
FY1999 key deliverable. Planned for deployment in 2003, the AEA Technology's nested
sampler is in integral part of a planned waste sampling, at-tank analysis, and transfer
system at the Hanford Site.
Contact: Kurt Gerdes, EM-53, 301/903-7289
Work for Others Projects with the United Kingdom
Background
The United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) is responsible for the management
and operation of the United Kingdom’s nuclear research facilities. As a result of its
research efforts, the UKAEA has identified numerous sites with radiological contamination.
The UKAEA is interested in better understanding the type, concentration and distribution
of this contamination.
The Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) has developed the
capability and state-of-the-art equipment to obtain real-time, densely spaced, in situ
characterization data of various radionuclides and contaminants. INEEL’s Remedial
Action Monitoring System (RAMS) consists of enhanced sensor technology, measurement
modeling and interpretation techniques, and a suite of deployment platforms.
UKAEA RAMS Demonstration
The UKAEA has requested a demonstration of the INEEL RAMS at the UKAEA Dounreay and
Harwell sites. The INEEL team will conduct four individual field radiation surveys
involving two unique sites at each facility. Each survey will involve an area encompassing
approximately 100 X 100 meters. INEEL will operate its RAMS on-site with the most
appropriate radiological sensor(s) for the selected sites. While the RAMS is performing
its non-intrusive, in situ mapping routine, UKAEA representatives will be able to view,
real-time, the data collected in the area of investigation on a monitor at the remote
workstation. The INEEL will generate post-processed distribution maps within minutes after
the data collection process is complete.
Contact: Elizabeth O’Malley, EM-54, 202/586-0175
General Disclaimer
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