skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Demonstration of retrieval methods for Westinghouse Hanford Corporation by EPW Industrial Services Incorporated, trial number 2, April 30, 1996

Abstract

Westinghouse Hanford Company has been pursuing strategies to break up and retrieve the radioactive waste material in single shell storage tanks at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation, by working with non-radioactive ``saltcake`` and sludge material that simulate the actual waste. Previous trials run by MPW for Westinghouse Hanford Company (report dated October 20, 1995) resulted in difficulty breaking up the simulant using three approaches, with pressures to I 0,000 psi and flow rates to 56 gpm. The saltcake sirnulant was extremely hard, with a tensile strength similar to concrete. Westinghouse Hanford proposed a second set of trials utilizing a range of four sirnulants to attempt to bracket the capability of the I 0,000 psi waterblast stream. This set of trials had one simulant similar to the soft sludge previously trialed, two similar to the hard saltcake but with a lower strength, and one with a coarse rock-salt in a saltcake matrix, which is quite low in strength. Under this proposal, MPW would attempt to dislodge the four different simulants us@@ng two methods, for a total of eight pans. Each pan would be 4-foot square x I- 1/2-foot deep. The approaches would be as follows: A. Rotary tooling approaching straight down, withmore » two triangle nozzles, each at a nominal 12.5 gpm at I 0,000 psi, at a 45-degree angle. B. Straight in to the exposed edge of the material with an articulated ``water cannon`` -with a triangle nozzle rated at approximately 25 gpm.« less

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:
328659
Report Number(s):
WHC-MR-0527
ON: DE98059305; BR: EW3130000; TRN: 99:003678
DOE Contract Number:
AC06-96RL13200
Resource Type:
Technical Report
Resource Relation:
Other Information: PBD: Oct 1996
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
05 NUCLEAR FUELS; WASTE RETRIEVAL; DEMONSTRATION PROGRAMS; SIMULATION

Citation Formats

NONE. Demonstration of retrieval methods for Westinghouse Hanford Corporation by EPW Industrial Services Incorporated, trial number 2, April 30, 1996. United States: N. p., 1996. Web. doi:10.2172/328659.
NONE. Demonstration of retrieval methods for Westinghouse Hanford Corporation by EPW Industrial Services Incorporated, trial number 2, April 30, 1996. United States. doi:10.2172/328659.
NONE. Tue . "Demonstration of retrieval methods for Westinghouse Hanford Corporation by EPW Industrial Services Incorporated, trial number 2, April 30, 1996". United States. doi:10.2172/328659. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/328659.
@article{osti_328659,
title = {Demonstration of retrieval methods for Westinghouse Hanford Corporation by EPW Industrial Services Incorporated, trial number 2, April 30, 1996},
author = {NONE},
abstractNote = {Westinghouse Hanford Company has been pursuing strategies to break up and retrieve the radioactive waste material in single shell storage tanks at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation, by working with non-radioactive ``saltcake`` and sludge material that simulate the actual waste. Previous trials run by MPW for Westinghouse Hanford Company (report dated October 20, 1995) resulted in difficulty breaking up the simulant using three approaches, with pressures to I 0,000 psi and flow rates to 56 gpm. The saltcake sirnulant was extremely hard, with a tensile strength similar to concrete. Westinghouse Hanford proposed a second set of trials utilizing a range of four sirnulants to attempt to bracket the capability of the I 0,000 psi waterblast stream. This set of trials had one simulant similar to the soft sludge previously trialed, two similar to the hard saltcake but with a lower strength, and one with a coarse rock-salt in a saltcake matrix, which is quite low in strength. Under this proposal, MPW would attempt to dislodge the four different simulants us@@ng two methods, for a total of eight pans. Each pan would be 4-foot square x I- 1/2-foot deep. The approaches would be as follows: A. Rotary tooling approaching straight down, with two triangle nozzles, each at a nominal 12.5 gpm at I 0,000 psi, at a 45-degree angle. B. Straight in to the exposed edge of the material with an articulated ``water cannon`` -with a triangle nozzle rated at approximately 25 gpm.},
doi = {10.2172/328659},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue Oct 01 00:00:00 EDT 1996},
month = {Tue Oct 01 00:00:00 EDT 1996}
}

Technical Report:

Save / Share:
  • Westinghouse Hanford Corporation has been pursuing strategies to break up and retrieve the radioactive waste material in single shell storage tanks at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation, by working with non-radioactive ``saltcake`` and sludge material that simulate the actual waste. It has been suggested that the use of higher volumes of water than used in the past (10 gpm nozzles at 10,000 psi) might be successful in breaking down the hard waste simulants. Additionally, the application of these higher volumes of water might successfully be applied through commercially available tooling using methods similar to those used in the deslagging of largemore » utility boilers. NMW Industrial Services, Inc., has proposed a trial consisting of three approaches each to dislodging both the solid (saltcake) simulant and the sludge simulant.« less
  • The project involves the construction of an 80,000 gallon per day (260 tons per day (TPD)) methanol unit utilizing coal-derived synthesis gas from Eastman`s integrated coal gasification facility. The new equipment consists of synthesis gas feed preparation and compression facilities, the liquid phase reactor and auxiliaries, product distillation facilities, and utilities. The technology to be demonstrated is the product of a cooperative development effort by Air Products and DOE in a program that started in 1981. Developed to enhance electric power generation using integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) technology, the LPMEOH{trademark} process is ideally suited for directly processing gases producedmore » by modern-day coal gasifiers. Originally tested at a small (10 TPD), DOE-owned experimental unit in LaPorte, Texas, the technology provides several improvements essential for the economic coproduction of methanol and electricity directly from gasified coal. This liquid phase process suspends fine catalyst particles in an inert liquid, forming a slurry. The slurry dissipates the heat of the chemical reaction away from the catalyst surface, protecting the catalyst and allowing the methanol synthesis reaction to proceed at higher rates. At the Eastman complex, the technology is being integrated with existing coal-gasifiers. A carefully developed test plan will allow operations at Eastman to simulate electricity demand load-following in coal-based IGCC facilities. The operations will also demonstrate the enhanced stability and heat dissipation of the conversion process, its reliable on/off operation, and its ability to produce methanol as a clean liquid fuel without additional upgrading.« less
  • At the request of DOE, Pullman Kellogg has investigated the costs and technical advantages of extending a planned 15-day demonstration run of the Westinghouse process development unit to 30 days. This reactor, in Waltz Mill, Pennsylvania, has been operated during test runs over a two-year period in both air-blown and oxygen-blown modes with a variety of coal feedstocks. Kellogg obtained reactor operating data, descriptions and costs of additional hardware required, and information regarding other costs from Westinghouse. Based on its investigation, Kellogg offers these general conclusions: analysis of operating data and the dynamics of the gasifier indicate that a 15-daymore » length for the demonstration run should be sufficcient to allow any slowly-developing effects to be observed; and the extra cost for extending the run to 30 days is $0.8 to 0.9 million based on Westinghouse information which seems satisfactory. Other factors which might affect the decision are discussed briefly. (LTN)« less
  • In the second quarter of calendar year 1996, 16 days of combust- boiler tests were performed, including 2 days of tests on a parallel DOE sponsored project on sulfur retention in a slagging combustor. Between tests, modifications and improvements that were indicated by these tests were implemented. This brings the total number of test days to the end of June in the task 5 effort to 28, increased to 36 as of the date of this Report, 8/18/96. This compares with a total of 63 test days needed to complete the task 5 test effort. It is important to notemore » that the only major modification to the Williamsport combustor has been the addition of a new downstream section, which lengthens the combustor and improves the combustor-boiler interface. The original combustor section, which includes the fuel, air, and cooling water delivery systems remained basically unchanged. Only the refractory liner was completely replaced, a task which occurs on an annual basis in all commercial slagging utility combustors. Therefore, this combustor has been operated since 1988 without replacement. The tests in the present reporting period are of major significance in that beginning with the first test on March 31st, for the first time slagging opening conditions were achieved in the upgraded combustor. The first results showed that the present 20 MMBtu/hr combustor design is far superior to the previous one tested since 1988 in Williamsport, PA. The most important change is that over 95% of the slag was drained from the slag tap in the combustor. This compares with an range of one-third to one-half in Williamsport. In the latter, the balance of the slag flowed out of the exit nozzle into the boiler floor. In addition, the overall system performance, including the combustor, boiler, and stack equipment, ranged from good to excellent. Those areas requiring improvement were of a nature that could be corrected with some work. but in no case were the problems encountered of a barrier type.« less
  • Engineering support services provided to ERDA as requested are described briefly: site evaluation, environmental impact of all plant effluent streams, preparation of Handbook of Gasifiers and Gas Treatment Systems, technical review of Coalcon reports as requested, cost estimates, risk evaluation, process design of a pressurized fluid bed char gasification system, etc. (LTN)