Testing cleanable/reuseable HEPA prefilters for mixed waste incinerator air pollution control systems

Conference · Fri Aug 01 04:00:00 EDT 1997

OSTI ID:567172

Burns, D B; Wong, A; Walker, B W; Paul, J D ^[1]

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1. Westinghouse Savannah River Co., Aiken, SC (United States)

The Consolidated Incineration Facility (CIF) at the US DOE Savannah River Site is undergoing preoperational testing. The CIF is designed to treat solid and liquid RCRA hazardous and mixed wastes from site operations and clean-up activities. The technologies selected for use in the air pollution control system (APCS) were based on reviews of existing incinerators, air pollution control experience, and recommendations from consultants. This approach resulted in a facility design using experience from other operating hazardous/radioactive incinerators. In order to study the CIF APCS prior to operation, a 1/10 scale pilot facility, the Offgas Components Test Facility (OCTF), was constructed and has been in operation since late 1994. Its mission is to demonstrate the design integrity of the CIF APCS and optimize equipment/instrument performance of the full scale production facility. Operation of the pilot facility has provided long-term performance data of integrated systems and critical facility components. This has reduced facility startup problems and helped ensure compliance with facility performance requirements. Technical support programs assist in assuring all stakeholders the CIF can properly treat combustible hazardous, mixed, and low-level radioactive wastes. High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters are used to remove hazardous and radioactive particulates from the exhaust gas strewn before being released into the atmosphere. The HEPA filter change-out frequency has been a potential issue and was the first technical issue to be studied at the OCTF. Tests were conducted to evaluate the performance of HEPA filters under different operating conditions. These tests included evaluating the impact on HEPA life of scrubber operating parameters and the type of HEPA prefilter used. This pilot-scale testing demonstrated satisfactory HEPA filter life when using cleanable metal prefilters and high flows of steam and water in the offgas scrubber. 8 figs., 2 tabs.

• Research Organization: Harvard Univ., Boston, MA (United States). Harvard Air Cleaning Lab.; USDOE Assistant Secretary for Environment, Safety, and Health, Washington, DC (United States). Office of Environmental Guidance; Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC (United States). Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research; International Society of Nuclear Air Treatment Technologies, Inc., Batavia, OH (United States)
• OSTI ID: 567172
• Report Number(s): NUREG/CP--0153; CONF-960715--; ON: TI97008959
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

05 NUCLEAR FUELS
AIR FILTERS
COMBUSTION
HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
LOW-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES
PERFORMANCE TESTING
SERVICE LIFE