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Title: Mobile X-ray imaging systems for the tank waste characterization project at the Hanford site

Abstract

Stored waste tank sampling of radioactive high-level nuclear waste is reilu ired for continued operations, waste characterization, and site safety. The Hanford site tank farms consist of 28 double- shell and 1.49 single-shell underground storage tanks. The ``full`` capacity of each of these tanks is approximately 1 million gallons. The waste stored in these tanks was generated as a result of defense materials production over the course of 4 decades. The single shell tanks are out-of-service and no longer receive liquid waste. Core samples of salt cake, liquid and sludge are remotely obtained using truck-mounted core drill platforms. Samples are recovered from the tanks through a 2.25-inch diameter drill pipe,, in segments contained in specially designed stainless steel samplers approximately 1.5-inch in outside diameter and 26-inches long. The sampled material in a given segment can include crystalline salt-cake, liquid, sludge and entrained gas. Drilling parameters will necessarily vary with different waste types, e.g., crystalline salt-cake versus sludge. At times, the core sample recovery has been marginal and inadequate for laboratory analysis needs. This necessitated a system to provide the drill-truck operators with ``real-time`` feedback about the physical condition of the sampled ``formation`` and the percent recovery, prior to receiving .,isualmore » characterization information and nuclear assay measurements from the Hanford site 222-S Analytic!al laboratories, a process often requiring two week turn-around of data. This real- time information allows the drill-truck engineers to immediately vary the drilling parameters to maintain sample recovery.« less

Authors:
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Westinghouse Hanford Co., Richland, WA (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management, Washington, DC (United States)
OSTI Identifier:
331676
Report Number(s):
WHC-SA-3122-FP
ON: DE98058667; BR: EW3120074; TRN: 96000790
DOE Contract Number:  
AC06-96RL13200
Resource Type:
Technical Report
Resource Relation:
Other Information: PBD: 25 Sep 1996
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
05 NUCLEAR FUELS; TANKS; X-RAY RADIOGRAPHY

Citation Formats

Weber, J R. Mobile X-ray imaging systems for the tank waste characterization project at the Hanford site. United States: N. p., 1996. Web. doi:10.2172/331676.
Weber, J R. Mobile X-ray imaging systems for the tank waste characterization project at the Hanford site. United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/331676
Weber, J R. 1996. "Mobile X-ray imaging systems for the tank waste characterization project at the Hanford site". United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/331676. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/331676.
@article{osti_331676,
title = {Mobile X-ray imaging systems for the tank waste characterization project at the Hanford site},
author = {Weber, J R},
abstractNote = {Stored waste tank sampling of radioactive high-level nuclear waste is reilu ired for continued operations, waste characterization, and site safety. The Hanford site tank farms consist of 28 double- shell and 1.49 single-shell underground storage tanks. The ``full`` capacity of each of these tanks is approximately 1 million gallons. The waste stored in these tanks was generated as a result of defense materials production over the course of 4 decades. The single shell tanks are out-of-service and no longer receive liquid waste. Core samples of salt cake, liquid and sludge are remotely obtained using truck-mounted core drill platforms. Samples are recovered from the tanks through a 2.25-inch diameter drill pipe,, in segments contained in specially designed stainless steel samplers approximately 1.5-inch in outside diameter and 26-inches long. The sampled material in a given segment can include crystalline salt-cake, liquid, sludge and entrained gas. Drilling parameters will necessarily vary with different waste types, e.g., crystalline salt-cake versus sludge. At times, the core sample recovery has been marginal and inadequate for laboratory analysis needs. This necessitated a system to provide the drill-truck operators with ``real-time`` feedback about the physical condition of the sampled ``formation`` and the percent recovery, prior to receiving .,isual characterization information and nuclear assay measurements from the Hanford site 222-S Analytic!al laboratories, a process often requiring two week turn-around of data. This real- time information allows the drill-truck engineers to immediately vary the drilling parameters to maintain sample recovery.},
doi = {10.2172/331676},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/331676}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Wed Sep 25 00:00:00 EDT 1996},
month = {Wed Sep 25 00:00:00 EDT 1996}
}