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U.S. Department of Energy
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Hanford Single-Shell Tank Leak Causes and Locations - 241-BY and 241-TY Farm

Technical Report ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/1107171· OSTI ID:1107171
 [1];  [1]
  1. Washington River Protection Solutions, Richland, WA (United States)

This document identifies 241-BY Tank Farm (BY Farm) and 241-TY Tank Farm (TY Farm) leak causes and locations for the 100-series leaking tanks in BY and TY Farm. The leak causes and locations report for all of the 100-series single-shell leaking tanks is one of the targets (M-045-91-T04) in the Hanford Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order milestone M-045-91F. The T04 target requires that the Department of Energy provide to State of Washington, Department of Ecology (Ecology) a report on the 100-series single-shell tanks which have been or will be identified as having leaked in RPP-32681, Rev. 0, Process to Assess Tank Farm Leaks in Support of Retrieval and Closure Planning, leak assessment reports. The leak assessment report for BY Farm, RPP-RPT-43704, Rev. 0A, Hanford BY-Farm Leak Assessments Report, lists one 100-series tank that either continues to be or is recommended to be classified as a leaking tank in BY Farm, 241-BY-103 (BY-103). The leak assessment report for TY Farm, RPP-RPT-42296, Rev, 0, Hanford TY-Farm Leak Assessments Report, lists four 100-series tanks that either continue to be or are recommended to be classified leaking tanks in TY Farm, 241-TY-103 (TY-103), 241-TY-104 (TY-104), 241-TY-105 (TY-105), and 241-TY-106 (TY-106). All of the other eleven 100-series tanks in BY Farm and two 100-series tanks in TY Farm are classified as “sound” or are identified in RPP-RPT-43704, Rev. 0A, and RPP-RPT-42296, Rev. 0, respectively, as requiring re-assessment of their classification per TFC-ENG-CHEM-D-42, Tank Leak Assessment Process. The TFC-ENG-CHEM-D-42 assessments are not part of the M-045-91-T04 target. This BY and TY Farm leak causes and locations document is part of a series of tank farm reports that identify leak causes and locations for 100-series leaking tanks. A summary and conclusions document will be issued, RPP-RPT-54909, Hanford Single-Shell Tank Leak Causes and Locations – Summary, that compiles the results from all of the leak causes and locations tank farm reports when they have been issued which will fulfill the T04 target requirements. The identification of four of the five leaking BY and TY Farm tank leak locations focused on the first indication of radiation detected in drywells as well as liquid level decreases as appropriate, with the exception of tank TY-104 which could not be identified. Leak detection laterals were not installed underneath the BY and TY Farm tanks. For TY Farm, direct pushes were installed in 2005 to further characterize the tank leaks which were used to collaborate with the drywell data. The BY and TY Farm leaking tanks were likely due to chemistry-corrosion from the storage of Tri-butyl phosphate (TBP) waste which is conducive to stress corrosion cracking and pitting. Thermal shock (rate of temperature rise) and tank construction conditions (cold weather ductile-to-brittle transition temperature impact effects) were also likely to have affected tank integrity. There appears to be very little contribution from tank design and liner bulging. However, some or all of the factors can act serially or together to contribute to tank liner failure. The leaking BY and TY Farm tanks all stored undiluted TBP waste whereas the sound tanks stored diluted TBP waste as well as other waste types.

Research Organization:
Washington River Protection Solutions, Richland, WA (United States); Hanford Site (HNF), Richland, WA (United States); USDOE Office of River Protection (ORP), Richland, WA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM)
DOE Contract Number:
AC27-08RV14800
OSTI ID:
1107171
Report Number(s):
RPP-RPT--54911-Rev.0; A-6002-767-Rev.3
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English