Discovery of the First Leaking Double-Shell Tank - Hanford Tank 241-AY-102
- Washington River Protection Systems, Richland, WA (United States)
A routine video inspection of the annulus space between the primary tank and secondary liner of double-shell tank 241-AY-102 was performed in August 2012. During the inspection, unexpected material was discovered. A subsequent video inspection revealed additional unexpected material on the opposite side of the tank, none of which had been observed during inspections performed in December 2006 and January 2007. A formal leak assessment team was established to review the tank's construction and operating histories, and preparations for sampling and analysis began to determine the material's origin. A new sampling device was required to collect material from locations that were inaccessible to the available sampler. Following its design and fabrication, a mock-up test was performed for the new sampling tool to ensure its functionality and capability of performing the required tasks. Within three months of the discovery of the unexpected material, sampling tools were deployed, material was collected, and analyses were performed. Results indicated that some of the unknown material was indicative of soil, whereas the remainder was consistent with tank waste. This, along with the analyses performed by the leak assessment team on the tank's construction history, lead to the conclusion that the primary tank was leaking into the annulus. Several issues were encountered during the deployment of the samplers into the annulus. As this was the first time samples had been required from the annulus of a double-shell tank, a formal lessons learned was created concerning designing equipment for unique purposes under time constraints.
- Research Organization:
- Hanford Site (HNF), Richland, WA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM)
- DOE Contract Number:
- DE-AC27-08RV14800
- OSTI ID:
- 1104543
- Report Number(s):
- WRPS-55823-FP-Rev0; TRN: US1400386
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: WM2014 Waste Management Symposia, Phoenix, AZ (United States), 2-6 Mar 2014; Related Information: Number 14222
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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