Title: IMPROVING THE Y-12 NEUTRON RADIOGRAPHY FACILITY.

A nondestructive assay (nondestructive analysis) laboratory is in operation at the Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant in a facility for the recovery of highly enriched uranium from manufacturing wastes. The laboratory contains instruments for gamma scanning and neutron interrogation of containers of solid wastes, gamma analysis of solution samples, and measurement of solution density. This facility has replaced sampling and chemical analysis or simple gamma counting for uranium inventory measurements on five material types. The benefits are increased speed, improved accuracy, and lowered costs for obtaining uranium inventories. 7 references, 5 figures, 4 tables.

Nonfilm, real-time radiography is being developed in a form applicable to U-6-Nb wt % alloy parts. A development facility is in operation for use in prototyping the equipment and methods to be used, and equipment for the production facility has been procured and is being installed. The production facility is scheduled to be transferred to production in FY 1990. Fully automated data acquisition and analysis methods have been developed and demonstrated on the development system. The software has been translated onto the production computer system and individually tested. A statistical comparison of nonfilm radiography, using the development facility, was completedmore » in FY 1986. Results of this study indicate that the nonfilm method exhibits superior precision and accuracy but slightly poorer resolution than the normal film radiography. The nonfilm system also yielded a small number of ''false alarms'' apparently associated with the camera system. The size of the ''false alarms'' were less than the resolution limits of the system. A second statistical comparison of nonfilm radiography with conventional film radiography using actual production parts and the production facility is scheduled for FY 1990. 1 ref., 10 figs.« less

Recent tests at The University of Tennessee in Knoxville (UT) have demonstrated improved fluidization performance in a mockup of the Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant fluidized bed with a modified gas distributor. Combining the modified distributor with the recently developed fluidization intensity module is expected to result in substantial operational improvements for the fluidized beds in Building 9212 at Y-12. Important additional benefits coming from the improved operation of the Y-12 fluidized beds will be a reduction in the consumption of reactant gases, a reduction in scrubber waste production, and a reduced need for manual cleaning of the particulate removal system.more » UT tests have also demonstrated that the tapered wall design traditionally used for the Y-12 fluidized beds does not provide a sufficient improvement in fluidization quality to justify the continued use of this design in place of a more conventional straight-wall configuration. The straight-wall design for replacement beds is expected to result in substantial equipment cost savings. Other operating scenarios that could potentially be used to reduce reactant gas consumption and scrubber waste production have also been considered. These scenarios are documented here for future reference.« less

The purpose of this document is to provide hydrogeologic, geochemical, and vapor monitoring data required for site status monitoring of underground storage tanks (UST) 1219-U, 1222-U, 2082-U, and 2068-U at the Rust Garage Facility. Comprehensive monitoring was conducted at the site in May 1994 as part of a Monitoring Only program approved by Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) based on review and approval of Site Ranking. In September 1994, the first semiannual site status monitoring was conducted. This document presents the results of the second semiannual site status monitoring, which was conducted in February 1995. Site status monitoringmore » and preparation of this report have been conducted in accordance with the requirements of the TDEC Rule 1200-1-15, the TDEC UST Reference Handbook, Second Edition, and direction from TDEC. This document is organized into three sections. Section 1 presents introductory information relative to the site including regulatory initiative and a site description. Section 2 includes the results of sampling of monitoring wells GW-508, GW-631, GW-632, and GW-634. Section 3 presents data from vapor monitoring conducted in subsurface utilities present at the site.« less

The purpose of this document is to provide hydrogeologic, geochemical, and vapor monitoring data required for site status monitoring of underground storage tanks (UST) 1219-U, 1222-U, 2082-U, and 2068-U at the Rust Garage Facility. Comprehensive monitoring was conducted at the site in May 1994 as part of a Monitoring Only program approved by Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) based on review and approval of Site Ranking. This document presents the results of the first semiannual site status monitoring, which was conducted in September 1994. Site status monitoring and preparation of this report have been conducted in accordance withmore » the requirements of the TDEC Rule 1200-1-15, the TDEC UST Reference Handbook, Second Edition, and direction from TDEC. This document is organized into three sections. Section 1 presents introductory information relative to the site including regulatory initiative and a site description. Section 2 includes the results of sampling of monitoring wells GW-508, GW-631, GW-632, and GW-634. Section 3 presents data from vapor monitoring conducted in subsurface utilities present at the site.« less