Hanford K Basins Sludge Retrieval & Treatment
- Hanford Site (HNF), Richland, WA (United States)
This paper shows how Fluor Hanford and BNG America have combined nuclear plant skills from the US and the UK to devise methods to retrieve and treat the sludge that has accumulated in K Basins at the Hanford site over many years. Retrieving the sludge is the final stage in removing fuel and sludge from the basins to allow them to be decontaminated and decommissioned, thus removing the threat of contamination of the Columbia River. A description is given of sludge retrieval using vacuum lances and specially developed nozzles and pumps into Consolidation Containers within the basins. The special attention that had to be paid to the heat generation and potential criticality issues with the irradiated uranium-containing sludge is described. The processes developed to re-mobilize the sludge from the Consolidation Containers and pump it through flexible and transportable hose-in-hose piping to the treatment facility are explained with particular note made of dealing with the abrasive nature of the sludge. The treatment facility, housed in an existing Hanford building is described, and the uranium-corrosion and grout encapsulation processes explained. The uranium corrosion process is a robust, tempered process very suitable for dealing with a range of differing sludge compositions. The grout process to produce the final waste form is backed by BNG America's 20 years' experience of grouting radioactive waste at Sellafield and elsewhere. The use of transportable and re-usable equipment is emphasized, and its role noted in avoiding new plant build that itself will require cleanup. The processes and techniques described in the paper are shown to have wide applicability to nuclear cleanup worldwide.
- Research Organization:
- Hanford Site (HNF), Richland, WA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP); USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC06-96RL13200
- OSTI ID:
- 841364
- Report Number(s):
- HNF-24569-FP, Rev.0; DE-AC06-96RL13200; TRN: US0502580
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: PBD: 5 Jul 2005
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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DEVELOPMENT OF EQUIPMENT FOR THE RETRIEVAL & STABILIZATION & ENCAPSULATION OF RADIOACTIVE SLUDGE AT THE HANFORD SITE
Retrieval and Management of TRU Sludge at Hanford K-Basin - 19641
Related Subjects
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
ABRASIVES
COLUMBIA RIVER
CONTAINERS
CONTAMINATION
CORROSION
CRITICALITY
ENCAPSULATION
GROUTING
NOZZLES
PHOSPHORS
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
SLUDGES
URANIUM
WASTE FORMS
Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)
Abrasives
Columbia River
Containers
Contamination
Corrosion
Criticality
Encapsulation
Grouting
Nozzles
Phosphors
Radioactive Wastes
Sludges
Uranium
Waste Forms