Jerry M. Hyde
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Science and Technology
Germantown, Maryland 20874
Telephone: 30l-903-7914
Fax: 30l-903-1530
E-Mail: Jerry.Hyde@EM.DOE.GOV

The U.S. Department of Energy has many nuclear facilities requiring decontamination and decommissioning including research and production reactors, hot cells, uranium and plutonium processing buildings, fuel reprocessing canyons, gaseous diffusion and gas centrifuge uranium enrichment plants, weapons production facilities, research laboratories, and waste processing facilities.

The Office of Science and Technology initiated the concept of using large scale demonstration projects to test innovative technologies as part of the ongoing decommissioning project. The objective is to collect cost and performance data for the innovative technologies and compare these to commercially available baseline technologies.

About l0,300 Department of Energy facilities have already been transferred to the Office of Environmental Management. Over 50% of these facilities are more than 20 years old, with 25% having been constructed prior to l954. As these facilities continue to age, the costs associated with their surveillance and maintenance also continues to increase. A recent analysis shows that an additional 800-1500 facilities will become excess by 2006. Approximately one third of these facilities are expected to be contaminated with hazardous or radioactive contamination or both.

The existing facilities will be either dismantled, used in privatization projects, or deactivated and surveillance and maintenance continued.

The DOE l0-Year Site Plans have identified many D&D innovative technologies that if deployed can save millions of dollars in the cleanup effort. The 2006 Plan identified l0l individual needs across the DOE complex where D&D technology development is required to provide solutions for the buildings/facilities needing deactivation or decommissioning in the near-term.

The Deactivation and Decommissioning Focus Area(DDFA) is attempting to address 90% of these needs using a Large-Scale Demonstration Project(LSDP) approach. This approach focuses on specific, high priority D&D projects identified by and co-funded with the user. The LSDPs demonstrate innovative and improved D&D technologies at full scale, side by side with existing commercial technologies. The intent is to compare benefits from using a suite of innovative D&D technologies against those associated with the baseline.

Primary drivers of this work are the reduction of costs and schedules, the reduction of risk to workers involved in the cleanups, and the recycle(where feasible) or reduction of the large amounts of waste generated from the D&D activities.

The D&D Focus Area has developed an implementation strategy in order to provide technology support to the Environmental Management D&D Cleanup.

This consists of the following:

• Focus the program on Large Scale Demonstration Projects(LSDPs).
• Demonstrate innovative D&D technologies as part of a LSDP.
• Focus on high-priority needs with technologies that have commitment
• or use by the customer.
• Emphasize demonstration and deployment of private sector technologies.

Over 50 technologies have been demonstrated for the first three large scale demonstration projects in the areas of characterization, decontamination, dismantlement, waste management, stabilization, and health and safety. These three projects are:

This project was cost shared with the Office of Environmental Restoration(EM-40). 35 technologies were demonstrated during the decontamination and dismantlement of the research reactor. The decommissioning consisted of D&D of the reactor building, hot cell, and fuel storage pool, removal of the biological shield and reactor core, and decontamination of the fuel rod storage area and radioactive material storage and handling facilities.

It is expected that these technologies will be used for D&D of other DOE research reactors at DOE sites, e.g. Idaho, Savannah River, Richland, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and Brookhaven National Laboratory. They will also be available for deployment at commercial reactor D&D work such as Commonwealth Edison’s Dresden l facility. These type of reactors have high residual radioactivity requiring much of the work to be done remotely.

These technologies can lead to significant mortgage reduction, costs savings, and risk reduction during D&D.

Demonstrations consisted of full scale technologies for radiological surveying of radiation areas, treatment of contaminated fuel pool waters, size reduction of the reactor block and remote dismantlement of the reactor regulator rods and other equipment using robotics, concrete decontamination, and material handling capabilities.

• Characterization - e.g. Pipe Explorer, Mobile Automated Characterization System, etc.
• Decontamination - e.g. Empore Membrane Separation Cartridge, Concrete Blasters, etc.
• Dismantlement - e.g. Robotics(ROSIE Remote Work System and Dual Arm Work Platform)

This project was also cost shared with the Office of Environmental Restoration(EM-40). 12 technologies were demonstrated during the decommissioning of the Plant. The decommissioning consisted of D&D of a large uranium contaminated processing facility, which included asbestos insulation, transite panels, and contaminated processing equipment.

It is expected that these technologies will be used for D&D of other processing facilities at Fernald, Oak Ridge, Rocky Flats and Richland. These technologies are needed to complete the cleanup at Fernald and Rocky Flats so that they can be effectively shutdown within the 2006 Plan time frame. The technologies will lead to significant mortgage reductions and enhance worker safety and efficiency during D&D.

Full scale technology demonstrations were conducted for: rapid, thick metal cutting; facilitating safe insulation removal; rapid piping inspection and characterization which enabled proper disposal methods to be employed; real-time characterization of uranium contaminated surfaces; worker protection, and methods of disposal of high void space materials. These technologies were all compared to baseline methods, thereby allowing accurate cost and performance assessments to be developed.

• Characterization - e.g. Piping Inspection
• Decontamination - e.g. Steam Cleaning with Vacuum Recovery and Sponge Jet Cleaning.
• Dismantlement - e.g. Vacuum Removal of Insulation(VecLoader), Oxygasoline Cutting Torch, and Void Filling with Foam and a Low-Density Cellular Concrete Grout.

This project was also cost shared with the Office of Environmental Restoration(EM-40). 20 technologies are being demonstrated during D&D and placing the reactor into safe storage. The project consists of removing surrounding facilities, decontamination of the fuel storage pool facility, and configuring the reactor block into a safe condition for storage.

It is expected that these technologies will be used for safe storage of l2 additional production reactors at Hanford and Savannah River. Pending acceptance by the regulators and stakeholders this large scale demonstration of technologies for interim safe storage could reduce up to 50 percent of the projected near term costs to fully decommission these reactors over the next several years.

Full scale technology demonstrations were conducted for: facility characterization, worker safety and structure/equipment dismantlement.

Some of the technologies demonstrated were the laser ranging system and position sensitive radiation detection monitor, the gamma ray imaging characterization technology and the hand-held hydraulic shear dismantlement technology, and the Heat-Stress Monitor. Others being planned are: decontamination of reactor fuel storage pools and concrete, size reduction and removal technologies, health and safety technologies, waste sorting and segregation of materials, metals recycling, and waste minimization.

• Characterization - e.g. Laser-Assisted Ranging and Data System, Gamma Ray Imaging, and Position Sensitive Radiation/Detection Monitor.
• Dismantlement - e.g. Self Contained Battery Operated Shears.
• Worker Health and Safety - e.g. Personnel Protective Clothing/Equipment, and
• Temporary Power and Light System.
• D&D Technology Database and Decision Tools - System for Tracking Remediation, Engineering, Activities and Materials (STREAM).

Over the next several years the D&D Focus Area will plan large scale demonstrations for a Plutonium Processing Facility, a Fuel Reprocessing Canyon, Tritium Contaminated Facilities, a Gaseous Diffusion Facility, a Highly Enriched Uranium (HEU) Fuel Fabrication Facility, and a Hot Cell Facility. Projects will consist of both decommissioning and deactivation of facilities. Also we would support technologies which would assist long term surveillance and maintenance, post-deactivation monitoring, and special assessments.

Dismantlement-Innovative technologies are needed for dismantlement tools that are versatile, easy to control, provide worker safety, and provide cost savings over the current conventional methods. Conventional tools include manual/hydraulic cutting shears, high-pressure water jets, saws, grinders, shears, plasma and acetylene torches. Improved processes are needed which will avoid volatilization of the contaminant during the cutting process. The cutting methods must also accomplish the cutting without spreading the contaminants to surrounding areas.

The Department of Energy is funding laser cutting of metals at Oak Ridge through a contract with Manufacturing Sciences Corporation for "Advanced Technologies for Decontamination and Conversion of Scrap Metals". A Nd:YAG laser using fiber optics was used to successfully,remote cut radioactively contaminated 2 inch thick nickel plated carbon steel converter shell plate into appropriate size pieces for decontamination and recycle. This technology is being evaluated to see if it will be appropriate for the full scale cleanup contract awarded to British Nuclear Fuels for D&D of 3 Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Buildings.

Decontamination-Innovative technologies are needed which are not labor intensive, provide cost savings over the current conventional methods, reduce worker exposure to radiation, and provide a reduction in any generated secondary waste. A goal is to be able to decontaminate as much of the equipment and piping to allow for free release of the metals. Complex geometries are difficult to clean and some contaminants are more mobile(technetium) and some metal forms are more porous(aluminum and nickel barrier material) and the contaminant may have migrated into the matrix of the metal making it more difficult to remove.

Department of Energy is funding Manufacturing Sciences Corporation to perform research and development work for nickel recovery by the electro-refining method. Both laboratory and pilot scale electro-refining experiments have been successful for the removal of technetium. The next phase involves the full scale electro-refining demonstration and research of electro-refining using chemical and direct dissolution. The system will consist of a 2000 gallon fiberglass tank(flow cell), anodes and cathodes, membrane, cementation chamber, metals recovery unit, and necessary pumps, filters, heated sump, monitors for pH/temperature, power supply, and controls.

Materials Disposition-Improved technologies are needed for the recycle of metals. The electro-refining technology is being evaluated for possible use in the decontamination of 6,000 tons of nickel as part of the 3 building D&D Project previously discussed. Manufacturing Sciences Corporation is researching markets for best fits for use of the decontaminated nickel, e.g. nickel-metal hydride batteries. They are also beginning development of stainless steel products, e.g. Defense Waste Processing Canister, and the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory overpacks( stainless steel lead lined drums).

This large scale demonstration project will have full scale demonstration of innovative technologies for the D&D of equipment such as gloveboxes, tanks and

piping in formerly plutonium processing facilities. There is a need for technologies which will make in-situ measurements of high radiation, decontaminate plutonium contaminated equipment and structural surfaces, provide contamination control using surface fixatives, provide maximum waste minimization, and provide for materials recycling.

Benefits-These technologies will have wide application at DOE’s plutonium contaminated facilities at Rocky Flats, Savannah River, Hanford, and Los Alamos. They will reduce the cost of D&D, reduce risk, and enhance worker safety.

For decontamination of high levels of plutonium potential innovative technologies include strippable coatings, abrasive blasting, and chemicals. For contamination control technologies include surface fixatives, modular containments, mobile filtration units, passive aerosol generator, and chemical foams/gels.

Ductwork dismantlement may utilize such size reduction equipment a saws, nibblers, porta shears, crimp/shear tools, angle grinders, plasma arcs, or lasers. Portable gamma-scan equipment may be used for in situ measurement of high radiation areas.

DOE has an agreement with Argentina, which requires the transfer of three technologies to assist Argentina in decommissioning plutonium gloveboxes in its alpha facility in Buenos Aires. The D&D Focus Area plans to identify superior technologies for plutonium glovebox decommissioning and transfer these to Argentina.

This large scale demonstration project would demonstrate innovative technologies during decommissioning of a tritium production facility. Innovative characterization, decontamination, dismantlement, material disposition, and worker protection technologies would be demonstrated.

Innovative technologies can be demonstrated in the areas of tritiated gloveboxes, piping systems decontamination, tritiated ductwork decontamination and size reduction, building materials decontamination, robotics/remote handling applications, and mixed waste issues.

Benefits and applications-The Mound Ohio Site has 58 facilities in the Tritium complex with over 275,000 square feet of floor space and over 400 tritium laboratories. Savannah River Site also has tritium contamination in F and H Chemical Reprocessing Plants.

Characterization would include technologies for real-time, rapid, facility survey of concrete floors and tritium contamination inside piping.

Several inactive spent-fuel reprocessing facilities exist within DOE. These facilities have well over 2,000,000 square feet of floor space containing thousands of tons of highly contaminated equipment. Use of existing technologies for deactivation and decommissioning would not only generate millions of gallons of highly radioactive waste, but also would require a great deal of worker exposure. Also millions of tons of low-level solid waste for burial would be generated.

Hanford has five canyon facilities--B-Plant;T-Plant; U-Plant; PUREX; and REDOX; Decommissioning planning is now underway by Hanford for the U-Plant.

The D&D life cycle for a large-scale nuclear facility, such as fuel reprocessing canyon facilities, includes:

• Planning and Project Management
• Characterization of the facility
• Decontamination
• Decommissioning
• Closure

Once characterization is complete, D&D engineering will begin to determine the final end state. Three options are under consideration including:

• Demolition of the canyon structure and disposing of the waste at other sites.
• Entombing or closing in-place with or without collapsing existing structures.
• Entombing the structure and using canyon internal space for waste emplacement from other Hanford cleanup work.

The near term facility characterization applications/needs include the following:

• Real-time, three-dimensional gamma energy analysis.
• Facility mapping with real-time sample locator and data analysis.
• Robotic/remotely operable systems for radiation and hazardous chemicals.
• Real-time determination of facility and equipment physical conditions.
• Remote Neutron flux scanning.

Such Facilities exist at Savannah River are contaminated with highly enriched uranium. Technologies for characterization, decontamination of ductwork, waste minimization and disposal, and other technologies for deactivation could be demonstrated. These technologies will primarily address issues of worker health and safety in radioactive environments and also provide reductions in surveillance and maintenance costs.

Fuel Storage Pools are located at DOE sites which have Production Reactors and Research/Test Reactors such as Handford, Savannah River, and Idaho. Demonstration of underwater technologies that include characterization, video inspections, sample collection, radiological surveys, underwater sizing, handling and packaging and decontamination all have the potential for costs reductions for D&D of similar DOE and commercial nuclear decommissioning operations.

l. Federal Energy Technology Center, l997. Decontamination and Decommissioning Focus Area Quarterly Reports and Update Newsletter. Office of Science and Technology, U.S. Department of Energy.

2. Morgantown Energy Technology Center, l995 and l996, Decontamination and Decommissioning Focus Area Request For Proposals for Large Scale Demonstration Projects. Office of Science and Technology, U.S. Department of Energy.

3. Fact Sheets for Technologies Demonstrated in the Large Scale Demonstration Projects(LSDPs), 1997. CP-5 LSDP, Argonne National Laboratory; Plant l LSDP, Fernald Environmental Management Project; C Reactor Interim Safe Storage Project LSDP, Richland, Washington;

BACK