Monitoring gas retention and slurry transport during the transfer of waste from Tank 241-C-106 to Tank 241-AY-102
- and others
The retained gas volume can be estimated by several methods. All of these methods have significant uncertainties, but together they form a preponderance of evidence that describes the gas retention behavior of the tank. The methods are (1) an increase in nonconvective layer thickness; (2) a waste surface level rise (surface level effect [SLE] model); (3) the barometric pressure effect (BPE model); (4) direct void measurement; and (5) the consequences of the transfer process. The nonconvective layer thickness can be determined with sufficient accuracy to describe the overall waste configuration by means of temperature profiles or densitometer indications. However, the presence of a nonconvective layer does not necessarily indicate significant gas retention, and small changes in layer thickness that could quantify gas retention cannot be detected reliably with the methods available. The primary value of this measurement is in establishing the actual {open_quotes}fluffing factor{close_quotes} for thermal calculations. Surface level rise is not a useful measure of gas retention in Tank 241-C-106 (C-106) since the waste level fluctuates with regular makeup water additions. In Tank 241-AY-102 (AY-102) with the existing ventilation system it should be possible to determine the gas retention rate within 30-60% uncertainty from the surface level rise, should a significant rise be observed. The planned ventilation system upgrades in AY- 102 will greatly reduce the exhaust flow and the headspace humidity, and the evaporation rate should be significantly lower when transfers begin. This could reduce the uncertainty in gas retention rate estimates to around {+-} 10%.
- Research Organization:
- Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC06-76RL01830
- OSTI ID:
- 548890
- Report Number(s):
- PNNL-11627; ON: DE97053943; TRN: 98:008464
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: PBD: Jul 1997
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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