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Title: Evaluation of mitigation strategies in Facility Group 1 double-shell flammable-gas tanks at the Hanford Site

Abstract

Radioactive nuclear waste at the Hanford Site is stored in underground waste storage tanks at the site. The tanks fall into two main categories: single-shell tanks (SSTs) and double-shell tanks (DSTs). There are a total of 149 SSTs and 28 DSTs. The wastes stored in the tanks are chemically complex. They basically involve various sodium salts (mainly nitrite, nitrate, carbonates, aluminates, and hydroxides), organic compounds, heavy metals, and various radionuclides, including cesium, strontium, plutonium, and uranium. The waste is known to generate flammable gas (FG) [hydrogen, ammonia, nitrous oxide, hydrocarbons] by complex chemical reactions. The process of gas generation, retention, and release is transient. Some tanks reach a quasi-steady stage where gas generation is balanced by the release rate. Other tanks show continuous cycles of retention followed by episodic release. There currently are 25 tanks on the Flammable Gas Watch List (FGWL). The objective of this report is to evaluate possible mitigation strategies to eliminate the FG hazard. The evaluation is an engineering study of mitigation concepts for FG generation, retention, and release behavior in Tanks SY-101, AN-103, AN 104, An-105, and Aw-101. Where possible, limited quantification of the effects of mitigation strategies on the FG hazard also is considered.more » The results obtained from quantification efforts discussed in this report should be considered as best-estimate values. Results and conclusions of this work are intended to help in establishing methodologies in the contractor`s controls selection analysis to develop necessary safety controls for closing the FG unreviewed safety question. The general performance requirements of any mitigation scheme are discussed first.« less

Authors:
; ; ;
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Assistant Secretary for Management and Administration, Washington, DC (United States)
OSTI Identifier:
658141
Report Number(s):
LA-UR-97-4912
ON: DE98004331; TRN: 98:011058
DOE Contract Number:  
W-7405-ENG-36
Resource Type:
Technical Report
Resource Relation:
Other Information: PBD: Nov 1997
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
05 NUCLEAR FUELS; TANKS; RADIOACTIVE WASTE STORAGE; FIRE HAZARDS; SAFETY ENGINEERING; DILUTION; HEAT TREATMENTS; MIXING; ULTRASONIC WAVES; MITIGATION

Citation Formats

Unal, C, Sadasivan, P, Kubic, W L, and White, J R. Evaluation of mitigation strategies in Facility Group 1 double-shell flammable-gas tanks at the Hanford Site. United States: N. p., 1997. Web. doi:10.2172/658141.
Unal, C, Sadasivan, P, Kubic, W L, & White, J R. Evaluation of mitigation strategies in Facility Group 1 double-shell flammable-gas tanks at the Hanford Site. United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/658141
Unal, C, Sadasivan, P, Kubic, W L, and White, J R. 1997. "Evaluation of mitigation strategies in Facility Group 1 double-shell flammable-gas tanks at the Hanford Site". United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/658141. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/658141.
@article{osti_658141,
title = {Evaluation of mitigation strategies in Facility Group 1 double-shell flammable-gas tanks at the Hanford Site},
author = {Unal, C and Sadasivan, P and Kubic, W L and White, J R},
abstractNote = {Radioactive nuclear waste at the Hanford Site is stored in underground waste storage tanks at the site. The tanks fall into two main categories: single-shell tanks (SSTs) and double-shell tanks (DSTs). There are a total of 149 SSTs and 28 DSTs. The wastes stored in the tanks are chemically complex. They basically involve various sodium salts (mainly nitrite, nitrate, carbonates, aluminates, and hydroxides), organic compounds, heavy metals, and various radionuclides, including cesium, strontium, plutonium, and uranium. The waste is known to generate flammable gas (FG) [hydrogen, ammonia, nitrous oxide, hydrocarbons] by complex chemical reactions. The process of gas generation, retention, and release is transient. Some tanks reach a quasi-steady stage where gas generation is balanced by the release rate. Other tanks show continuous cycles of retention followed by episodic release. There currently are 25 tanks on the Flammable Gas Watch List (FGWL). The objective of this report is to evaluate possible mitigation strategies to eliminate the FG hazard. The evaluation is an engineering study of mitigation concepts for FG generation, retention, and release behavior in Tanks SY-101, AN-103, AN 104, An-105, and Aw-101. Where possible, limited quantification of the effects of mitigation strategies on the FG hazard also is considered. The results obtained from quantification efforts discussed in this report should be considered as best-estimate values. Results and conclusions of this work are intended to help in establishing methodologies in the contractor`s controls selection analysis to develop necessary safety controls for closing the FG unreviewed safety question. The general performance requirements of any mitigation scheme are discussed first.},
doi = {10.2172/658141},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/658141}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Sat Nov 01 00:00:00 EST 1997},
month = {Sat Nov 01 00:00:00 EST 1997}
}