Modeling and analysis of ORNL horizontal storage tank mobilization and mixing

Technical Report · Wed Jun 01 00:00:00 EDT 1994

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/10169986· OSTI ID:10169986

Mahoney, L A; Terrones, G; Eyler, L L

The retrieval and treatment of radioactive sludges that are stored in tanks constitute a prevalent problem at several US Department of Energy sites. The tanks typically contain a settled sludge layer with non-Newtonian rheological characteristics covered by a layer of supernatant. The first step in retrieval is the mobilization and mixing of the supernatant and sludge in the storage tanks. Submerged jets have been proposed to achieve sludge mobilization in tanks, including the 189 m{sup 3} (50,000 gallon) Melton Valley Storage tanks (MVST) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and the planned 378 m{sup 3} (100,000 gallon) tanks being designed as part of the MVST Capacity Increase Project (MVST-CIP). This report focuses on the modeling of mixing and mobilization in horizontal cylindrical tanks like those of the MVST design using submerged, recirculating liquid jets. The computer modeling of the mobilization and mixing processes uses the TEMPEST computational fluid dynamics program (Trend and Eyler 1992). The goals of the simulations are to determine under what conditions sludge mobilization using submerged liquid jets is feasible in tanks of this configuration, and to estimate mixing times required to approach homogeneity of the contents.

• Research Organization: Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC06-76RL01830
• OSTI ID: 10169986
• Report Number(s): PNL-9961; ON: DE94015881; TRN: 94:014783
• Resource Relation: Other Information: PBD: Jun 1994
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
ORNL
RADIOACTIVE WASTE FACILITIES
REMEDIAL ACTION
SLUDGES
MIXING
WASTE RETRIEVAL
TANKS
STORAGE FACILITIES
COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION
FLUID MECHANICS
T CODES
HOMOGENEOUS MIXTURES
FABRICATION
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
054000
052002
HEALTH AND SAFETY
WASTE DISPOSAL AND STORAGE