The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) through the Richland Operations Office has requested proposals from the private sector for the treatment of waste from the Hanford Waste Tanks. Phase I of this privatization initiative may include a demonstration for treatment and immobilization of both low activity and high-level waste. If the demonstration includes high-level waste, then the Cs-137 waste stream most likely will be combined with the high-level waste sludge to produce a coupled feed for immobilization (most likely vitrification using a borosilicate glass). It appears that pretreatment will involve the removal of cesium (and perhaps strontium and some transuranic radionuclides) from the supernate using an ion exchange material such as crystalline silicotitanate (CST). The ion exchange sorbent (or the eluted Cs-137) can then be combined with the sludge and vitrified in a coupled operation similar to the DWPF process. Alternatively, the cesium-loaded ion exchange sorbent can be vitrified directly to produce a separate glass waste form. SRTC has been involved in an Office of Science and Technology (EM-50) funded project to determine if Cs-137 loaded CST can be successfully incorporated into glass at significant levels. 1 For a waste form which would include only Cs-137 loaded CST, concentrations up …

This report is a description of the Hanford site's annual dangerous waste in 1996.

Finish machining operations contribute the majority of the costs associated with fabricating high quality ceramic products. These components are typically used in harsh environments such as diesel engines, the defense industry, and automotive applications. The required finishing operations involve a variety of technology areas including process controls, process analysis, product certification, etc. and are not limited only to component grinding methods. The broad range of manufacturing problem solving expertise available in Oak Ridge provided resources that were far beyond what is available to the Coors manufacturing sites. Coors contributed equipment, such as the computer controls and part handling mechanisms associated with a state-of-the-art inspection machine plus operation-specific experience base. In addition, addressing these challenging tasks enabled Oak Ridge personnel to maintain familarity with rapidly advancing technologies, such as those associated with machine vision equipment, process monitoring techniques, and computer control systems.

The Savannah River Site (SRS) began production of radioactive glass in the Defense Waste Process Facility (DWPF) in 1996 following an extensive test program discussed earlier. Currently DWPF is operating in a `sludge only` mode to produce radioactive glass consisting of washed high-level waste sludge and glass frit. Future operations will produce radioactive glass consisting of washed high-level waste sludge, precipitated cesium, and glass frit. This paper provides an update of processing activities to date, operational problems encountered since entering radioactive operations, and the programs underway to solve them.

A small-scale demonstration of a new photocatalytic membrane reactor was undertaken at the X-623 Groundwater Treatment Facility at the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant. The photocatalytic membrane reactor initially removed between 60 and 65% of the TCE in a single pass. It also removed significant amounts of three additional compounds (including completely removing one of the compounds). It is believed that these compounds were vinyl chloride, and two isomers of dichloroethylene. Within three days from startup, high suspended solids (mainly bacteria) contained in the feedwater tank caused plugging of the system`s prefilter. The high concentration of bacteria was the result of a previously unknown large amount of activated carbon present in the feed tank prior to addition of the groundwater. It was also later discovered that fine colloidal silt particles had fouled the photocatalytic membranes and reduced their activity yielding only about a 20% reduction of TCE. The silt particles were determined to be between 50 and 100 nm and were able to pass through the 500 nm (0.5 {mu}m) diameter pores of the prefilter. The results of this field test demonstrated the potential for success of the deployment of this technology, the simplicity, flexibility, and operability of the process and …

This article outlines the content and performance of some of the ScaLAPACK software. ScaLAPACK is a collection of mathematical software for linear algebra computations on distributed-memory computers. The importance of developing standards for computational and message-passing interfaces is discussed. We present the different components and building blocks of ScaLAPACK and provide initial performance results for selected PBLAS routines and a subset of ScaLAPACK driver routines.

The methodology in this report results in the determination of an average vapor pressure over a predetermined time period of interest. The time period of interest is based on whether the most limiting constituent partial pressure increases or decreases over time. This average partial pressure is then used for determination of source terms for spills of the solution.

The purpose of this Engineering Task Plan is to document the strategy, equipment and responsibilities of the tasks required to preform the volume and inventory data collection of tank AX-104. The project is a part of the Hanford Tanks Initiative Plan document number WHC-SD-WM-PMP-022 Revision D.

Hanford, Fernald, Savannah River, and other sites are currently reviewing technologies that can be implemented to demolish buildings in a cost-effective manner. In order to demolish a structure and, at the same time, minimize the amount of dust generated by a given technology, an evaluation must be conducted to choose the most appropriate dust suppression technology. Thus, the purpose of this research, which was conducted by the Hemispheric Center for Environmental Technology (HCET) at Florida International University (FIU), was to perform an experimental study of dust aerosol abatement (dust suppression) methods as applied to nuclear D and D. This experimental study specifically targeted the problem of dust suppression during demolition. The resulting data were used in the development of mathematical correlations that can be applied to structural demolition. In the Fiscal Year 1996 (FY96), the effectiveness of different dust suppressing agents was investigated for different types of concrete blocks. Initial tests were conducted in a broad particle size range. In Fiscal Year 1997 (FY97), additional tests were performed in the size range in which most of the particles were detected. Since particle distribution is an important parameter for predicting deposition in various compartments of the human respiratory tract, various tests …

The Historical Tank Content Estimate for the Quadrant provides historical information on a tank-by-tank basis of the radioactive mixed wastes stored in the underground single-shell tanks for the Hanford 200 West Area. This report summarized historical information such as waste history, level history, temperature history, riser configuration, tank integrity, and inventory estimates on a tank-by-tank basis. Tank farm aerial photographs and interior tank montages are also provided for each tank. A description of the development of data for the document of the inventory estimates provided by Los Alamos National Labo1368ratory are also given in this report.

The Historical Tank Content Estimate for the Quadrant provides historical information on a tank-by-tank basis of the radioactive mixed wastes stored in the underground single-shell tanks for the Hanford 200 West Area. This report summarized historical information such as waste history, level history, temperature history, riser configuration, tank integrity, and inventory estimates on a tank- by-tank basis. Tank farm aerial photographs and interior tank montages are also provided for each tank. A description of the development of data for the document of the inventory estimates provided by Los Alamos National Laboratory are also given in this report.

This Supporting Document provides historical in-depth characterization information on AW-Tank Farm, such as historical waste transfer and level data, tank physical information, temperature plots, liquid observation well plots, chemical analyte and radionuclide inventories for the Historical Tank Content Estimate Report for the Southeast Quadrant of the Hanford 200 Areas.

This Supporting Document provides historical in-depth characterization information on AN-Tank Farm, such as historical waste transfer and level data, tank physical information, temperature plots, liquid observation well plots, chemical analyte and radionuclide inventories for the Historical Tank Content Estimate Report for the Southeast Quadrant of the Hanford 200 Areas.

Exhaust emission standards are governmentally controlled standards, which are increasingly stringent, forcing alternate strategies to meet these standards. One approach to improve the efficiency of the exhaust emission equipment is to decrease the time required to get the catalytic converter to optimum operating temperature. To accomplish this, automotive manufacturers are using double wall stainless steel exhaust manifolds to reduce heat loss of the exhaust gases to the converter. The current method to manufacture double wall stainless steel exhaust components is to use a low-cost alloy with good forming properties and extensively form, cut, assemble, and weld the pieces. Superplastic forming (SPF) technology along with alloy improvements has potential at making this process more cost effective. Lockheed Martin Energy Systems (LMES), Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) and USCAR Low Emission Partnership (LEP) worked under a Cooperative Research And Development Agreement (CRADA) to evaluate material properties, SPF behavior, and welding behavior of duplex stainless steel alloy for automotive component manufacturing. Battelle Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) has a separate CRADA with the LEP to use SPF technology to manufacture a double wall stainless steel exhaust component. As a team these CRADAs developed and demonstrated a technical plan to accomplish making double wall …

Processing techniques utilizing low temperature depositions and pulsed lasers allow the fabrication of polysilicon thin film transistors (TFT`s) on plastic substrates. By limiting the silicon, SiO2, and aluminum deposition temperatures to 100(degrees)C, and by using pulsed laser crystallization and doping of the silicon, we have demonstrated functioning polysilicon TFT`s fabricated on polyester substrates with channel mobilities of up to 7.5 cm2/V-sec and Ion/Ioff current ratios of up to 1x10(to the 6th power).

The Immobilized Low-Activity Waste Interim Storage subproject will provide storage capacity for immobilized low-activity waste product sold to the U.S. Department of Energy by the privatization contractor. This statement of work describes the work scope (encompassing definition of new installations and retrofit modifications to four existing grout vaults), to be performed by the Architect-Engineer, in preparation of a conceptual design for the Immobilized Low-Activity Waste Interim Storage Facility.

False positive detections account for a great part of the expense associated with unexploded ordnance (UXO) remediation. Presently fielded systems like pulsed electromagnetic induction systems and cesium-vapor magnetometers are able to distinguish between UXO and other metallic ground clutter only with difficulty. The discovery of giant magnetoresistance (GMR) has led to the development of a new generation of integrated-circuit magnetic sensors that are far more sensitive than previously available room-temperature-operation electronic devices. The small size of GMR sensors makes possible the construction of array detectors that can be used to image the flux emanating from a ferrous object or from a non-ferrous object with eddy currents imposed by an external coil. The purpose of a GMR-based imaging detector would be to allow the operator to easily distinguish between UXO and benign objects (like shrapnel or spent bullets) that litter formerly used defense sites (FUDS). In order to demonstrate the potential of a GMR-based imaging technology, a crude magnetic imaging system has been constructed using commercially available sensors. The ability to roughly determine the outline and disposition of magnetic objects has been demonstrated. Improvements to the system which are necessary to make it into a high-performance UXO detector are outlined.

This alternatives generation and analysis (AGA) addresses the question: What is the design basis for the facilities required to stage low-level waste (LLW) feed to the Phase I private contractors? Alternative designs for the intermediate waste feed staging system were developed, analyzed, and compared. Based on these analyses, this document recommends installing mixer pumps in the central pump pit of double-shell tanks 241-AP-102 and 241-AP-104. Also recommended is installing decant/transfer pumps at these tanks. These recommendations have clear advantages in that they provide a low shedule impact/risk and the highest operability of all the alternatives investigated. This revision incorporates comments from the decision board.

This report details the decomposition of aqueous (K,Na) slurries in concentrated salt solutions using a more complete candidate catalyst recipe, extended testing temperatures (40-70 degrees C) and test durations of approximately 1500 hours (9 weeks). This study uses recently developed High-Pressure Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) methods for analysis of tetraphenylborate (TPB-), triphenylborane (3PB) and diphenylborinic acid (2PB). All of the present tests involve non-radioactive simulants and do not include investigations of radiolysis effects.

We describe recent experiments at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) to produce a table-top x-ray laser. Using a combination of long 800 ps and short {approximately}1 ps high power laser pulses with {approximately} 6 J in each beam, a transient collisionally excited Ne-like ion x-ray laser scheme has been investigated. We present results of high x-ray laser gain for the Ne- like Ti 3p-3s J=O-l transition at 326 {Angstrom} and have achieved gL product of 15 for target lengths up to 1 cm. We have extended the transient collisional scheme to shorter wavelengths using the Ni-like analog, specifically the 4d-4p J=O-l of Ni-like Pd at 147 {Angstrom}.

During the decontamination and decommissioning (D&D) activities to be conducted at the Femald Environmental Management Project (FEMP), contaminated concrete waste will be generated from the D&D of approximately 200 buildings and other structures [1]. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) owns the Fernald site. The site is a contractor-operated federal facility that produced high-purity uranium metal products for the DOE and its predecessor agency, the Atomic Energy Commission, from 1952 to 1989. Thorium being ores were also processed at FEMP, but on a smaller scale. Production activities ceased in 1989, and the production mission of the facility ended formally in 1991. FEMP was included on the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) National Priorities List in 1989. The current mission of the site is environmental restoration according to the requirements specified by CERCLA [1]. Decontamination and decommissioning activities require the treatment of concrete floors to segregate technetium-99 contaminated concrete from the remainder of the concrete. Many proven commercial stiace removal technologies are available. These processes vary in aggressiveness, stiety requirements, waste generation, capital requirements, and operating and maintenance costs.

The characterization of the transport and solidification of metal in the melting and casting processes is significant for the optimization of the radioactively contaminated metal recycling and refining processes. . In this research project, the transport process in the melting and solidification of metal was numerically predicted, and the microstructure and radionuclide distribution have been characterized by scanning electron microscope/electron diffractive X-ray (SEWEDX) analysis using cesium chloride (CSC1) as the radionuclide surrogate. In the melting and solidification process, a resistance furnace whose heating and cooling rates are program- controlled in the helium atmosphere was used. The characterization procedures included weighing, melting and solidification, weighing after solidification, sample preparation, and SEM/EDX analysis. This analytical methodology can be used to characterize metal recycling and refining products in order to evaluate the performance of the recycling process. The data obtained provide much valuable information that is necessary for the enhancement of radioactive contaminated metal decontamination and recycling technologies. The numerical method for the prediction of the melting and solidification process can be implemented in the control and monitoring system-of the melting and casting process in radioactive contaminated metal recycling. The use of radionuclide surrogates instead of real radionuclides enables the research to be …

As a part of the A-01 investigation required by the NPDES permit, an investigation was performed to ascertain the concentrations of metals specifically copper (Cu), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn) in stormwater being discharged through the outfall. This information would indicate whether all water being discharged would have to be treated or if only a portion of the discharged stormwater would have to be treated. A study was designed to accomplish this. The first goal was to determine if the metal concentrations increased, decreased, or remained the same as flow increased during a rain event. The second goal was to determine if the concentrations in the storm water were due to dissolved. The third goal was to obtain background data to ascertain if effluent credits could be gained due to naturally occurring metals.Samples from this study were analyzed and indicate that the copper and lead values increase as the flow increases while the zinc values remain essentially the same regardless of the flow rate. Analyses of samples for total metals, dissolved metals, TSS, and metals in solids was complicated because in all cases metals contamination was found in the filters themselves. Some conclusions can be derived if this problem is …

Sensor arrays offer opportunities to beam form, and time-frequency analyses offer additional insights to the wavefield data. Data collected while monitoring three different sources with unattended ground sensors in a 16-element, small-aperture (approximately 5 meters) geophone array are used as examples of model-based seismic signal processing on actual geophone array data. The three sources monitored were: (Source 01). A frequency-modulated chirp of an electromechanical shaker mounted on the floor of an underground bunker. Three 60-second time-windows corresponding to (a) 50 Hz to 55 Hz sweep, (b) 60 Hz to 70 Hz sweep, and (c) 80 Hz to 90 Hz sweep. (Source 02). A single transient impact of a hammer striking the floor of the bunker. Twenty seconds of data (with the transient event approximately mid-point in the time window.(Source 11)). The transient event of a diesel generator turning on, including a few seconds before the turn-on time and a few seconds after the generator reaches steady-state conditions. The high-frequency seismic array was positioned at the surface of the ground at a distance of 150 meters (North) of the underground bunker. Four Y-shaped subarrays (each with 2-meter apertures) in a Y-shaped pattern (with a 6-meter aperture) using a total of 16 …