Potential Hazard of Ferrocyanide Salts in High-Level Waste Tanks Within the Hanford Tank Farm

1991 ◽  
Vol 257 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. F. Agnew ◽  
S. W. Eisenhawer ◽  
R. F. Davidson ◽  
L. H. Sullivan
Keyword(s):  
National Laboratory ◽  
Computer Code ◽  
High Level Waste ◽  
Potential Hazard ◽  
Los Alamos National Laboratory ◽  
The Past ◽  
Tank Farm ◽  
Waste Tanks ◽  
High Level ◽  
Nickel Ferrocyanide

ABSTRACTOver the past few years, there has been an increased awareness of the potential hazard of energetic chemical reactions in high-level radioactive waste tanks at the Hanford tank farm. In particular, a mixture of Na2NiFe(CN)6 with NaNO3 and NaNO2 in several high-level waste tanks has caused concern. The problem of the FeCN tanks is fundamentally one of a potentially unstable mixture of fuel (the CN- moiety) and oxidizer (NO3- or NO2-).At Los Alamos National Laboratory, we have performed an extensive reanalysis of the safety problems associated with the presence of Na2NiFe(CN)6 mixed with NaNO3/NO2 for a particular tank (104-BY) that contains by far the largest amount of the nickel ferrocyanide salt (∼2E5 mol). Our approach is to use conservative assumptions to bound both the energy density for a potential runaway reaction and the mass that could participate if we assume ignition as the result of bounding radionuclide concentrations. The subsequent progress of the accident is analyzed using an advanced hydrodynamics computer code called MESA to evaluate the loads on the structure and the generation of aerosols. The subsequent doses are shown to be low both on and off the site. The conservatism in the analysis is quite large, and the expected results using more realistic assumptions are discussed.

scholarly journals Moisture measurement for high-level-waste tanks using copper activation probe in cone penetrometer

1995 ◽  
Author(s):  
P.L. Reeder ◽  
D.C. Stromswold ◽  
R.L. Brodzinski ◽  
J.H. Reeves ◽  
W.E. Wilson
Keyword(s):  
High Level Waste ◽  
Cone Penetrometer ◽  
Moisture Measurement ◽  
Waste Tanks ◽  
High Level

Configuration Management for Modular Flexible Small Automation Systems: A Case Study

2000 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cameron J. Turner ◽  
Jacy M. Legault ◽  
Dan J. Cox
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
National Laboratory ◽  
Configuration Management ◽  
Management Systems ◽  
Alamos National Laboratory ◽  
Los Alamos National Laboratory ◽  
Automation Systems ◽  
High Level ◽  
Integrated Extraction

Abstract Configuration management provides designers of automation systems with a framework to develop effective automation systems despite their inherent complexity. By managing the complexity of the system, and assisting in low-level decision-making, configuration management systems enable human designers, operators and system technicians to focus on high-level decision-making where their knowledge and experience are the most valuable. The development of flexible, modular small automation systems for the Advanced Recovery and Integrated Extraction System (ARIES) Pilot Line at Los Alamos National Laboratory, can serve as a case study for the development of a configuration management methodology. Furthermore, this case study can be used to identify potential design tools that can assist in the development of automation systems. An examination of a specific case, that of the Hot-side Electrodecontamination Chamber of the ARIES Pilot Line has been used to identify necessary research developments and demonstrate the utility of the configuration management process.

A Knowledge-Based Approach for the Automated Design of Robotic/Human Manufacturing Workcells in Hazardous Environments

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joshua M. Williams ◽  
Mitch W. Pryor
Keyword(s):  
Manufacturing Systems ◽  
National Laboratory ◽  
Computational Design ◽  
Los Alamos National Laboratory ◽  
Knowledge Based ◽  
Design Engineers ◽  
Hazardous Environments ◽  
Interdisciplinary Knowledge ◽  
High Level ◽  
System Designs

The design of manufacturing systems in hazardous environments is complex, requiring interdisciplinary knowledge to determine which components and operators (human or robotic) are feasible. When conceptualizing designs, some options may be overlooked or unknowingly infeasible due to the design engineers’ lack of knowledge in a particular field or ineffective communication of requirements between disciplines. Computational design tools can help alleviate many of the problems encountered in this design task. We create a knowledge-based system (KBS) utilizing CLIPS to automate the synthesis of conceptual manufacturing system designs in radioactive environments. The KBS takes a high-level functional description of a process and uses FBS modeling to generate multiple designs with generic components retrieved from a database and low-level manufacturing task sequences. Using this approach, many options are explored and operator task compatibility is directly addressed. The KBS is applied to the design of glovebox processing systems at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL).

scholarly journals Development of a ceramic waste form for high-level waste disposal

1999 ◽  
Vol 556 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. W. Esh ◽  
K. M. Goff ◽  
K. T. Hirsche ◽  
T. J. Battisti ◽  
M. F. Simpson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Spent Nuclear Fuel ◽  
National Laboratory ◽  
Argonne National Laboratory ◽  
Fission Products ◽  
Waste Form ◽  
High Level Waste ◽  
Durability Test ◽  
Ceramic Waste ◽  
High Level ◽  
The Impact

AbstractA ceramic waste form is being developed by Argonne National Laboratory* (ANL) as part of the demonstration of the electrometallurgical treatment of spent nuclear fuel [1]. The halide, alkaline earth, alkali, transuranic, and rare earth fission products are stabilized in zeolite which is combined with glass and processed in a hot isostatic press (HIP) to form a ceramic composite. The mineral sodalite is formed in the HIP from the zeolite precursor. The process, from starting materials to final product, is relatively simple. An overview of the processing operations is given. The metrics that have been developed to measure the success or completion of processing operations are developed and discussed. The impact of variability in processing metrics on the durability of the final product is presented. The process is demonstrated to be robust for the type and range of operation metrics considered and the performance metric (PCT durability test) against which the operation metrics are evaluated.

Long-Term Radioactivity Release from Solidified High-Level Waste - Part II Parametric Study of Waste form Properties, Temperature and Time

1982 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Friedrich K. Altenhein ◽  
Werner Lutze ◽  
Rodney C. Ewing
Keyword(s):  
Parametric Study ◽  
Computer Code ◽  
Salt Dome ◽  
Waste Form ◽  
Glass Block ◽  
High Level Waste ◽  
Surface Layers ◽  
History Of ◽  
High Level

The computer code QTERM has been used to calculate the total released activity from a single glass block when in contact with brine in a salt dome repository as a function of: (1) waste form properties, (2) leaching mechanisms, (3) retention or precipitation of specific radionuclides in surface layers, (4) thermal history of the repository and (5) decreasing activity as a function of time.

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