The Fluor Hanford/PNNL Partnershipenergyenvironment.pnnl.gov/brochures/Fluor_Hanford.pdf · The Fluor Hanford/PNNL Partnership a summary of Contributions for FY03 Proposal for Processing

The Fluor Hanford/PNNL Partnershipa summary of Contributions for FY03


CONTENTS

Spent Nuclear Fuel ...............................................1PNNL staff performed laboratory studies to establish defensible safetybasis parameters for processing and dry storage of metallic uranium-based spent nuclear fuel (SNF), developed technologies to performnondestructive evaluation of contaminated fuel storage basins, andassessed the viability of receiving, processing, and packaging SNFscrap in the 300 Area.

Sludge at K-Basins ............................................1Nondestructive Evaluation of Contaminationin the Floor and Walls of the K-East Basin ...........2Proposal for Processing SNF Scrap at the325 Building ....................................................3

Plutonium Stabilization ........................................4PNNL co-developed the scientific basis for modifying plutoniumstabilization and packaging standards, and also developed theprocesses to stabilize some challenging plutonium legacy materials atthe Plutonium Finishing Plant (PFP).

Scientific Basis for Modifications to PlutoniumStabilization and Packaging Standards ................4High-Chloride Material Processing at PFP ..........5

Groundwater Protection ........................................6PNNL assisted Fluor Hanford with strategic planning andimplementation documents, workshops, environmental riskassessments, sediment characterization, field experiments, andlaboratory studies supporting Hanford Site groundwater protection,monitoring, and remediation.

Risk and Decision Tools ........................................8PNNL worked with Fluor Hanford to develop and apply riskanalysis to support various levels of decision-making and integraterisk analysis across these levels.

Integrated Risk Analysis to Support ContractManagement Decisions ......................................8

PAS-1 Cask Unloadedat RPL

Pre-Conceptual CanyonRobotic Removal Platform


Decontamination and DecommissioningActivities ..............................................................9PNNL staff led the acquisition of nondestructive analyses capabilitiesfor PFP decontamination and decommissioning, developed thetechnical strategy for Plutonium Reclamation Facility decommission-ing, obtained EM-50 funding to define what “demolition ready”means at Hanford, and proposed early transition of selectedPlutonium Process Support Laboratory staff and equipment toretain onsite expertise and capability.

Alternative Approach for Legacy PlutoniumHoldup Disposal ...............................................9Plutonium Process Support LaboratoryTransfer of Staff ............................................. 10

Waste Management .............................................11PNNL staff evaluated nondestructive analyses and “VisualExamination Technique” for PFP waste packaging, producedradioactive solid waste forecasts, maintained and updated the SolidWaste Projection Model, and assisted with completion of the HanfordSite Solid Waste Management Environmental Impact StatementTechnical Information Document.

1


Spent Nuclear FuelSludge at K-BasinsPacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) staff performedtesting and engineering evaluations that helped establish defensibledesign and safety basis parameters for the processing and drystorage of metallic, uranium-based spent nuclear fuel (SNF).

• Establishment of “Reasonably Bounding Case”: Evaluation ofall parameters of flammable gas (hydrogen) generation issuesduring loading, transport, and storage of large-diametercontainers (e.g., uranium metal content, reactive particle size,reaction rates, decay power, radiolytic gas generation rate) attheir safety basis values results in compounding and unrealisticconservatisms. PNNL staff, in partnership with Fluor Hanfordand Fauski and Associates, Inc., performed key analyses toreduce conservatism and establish a Reasonably Bounding Case(i.e., a set of parameters that realistically depicts boundingconditions) for analyzing the behavior of K-East Basin sludge inlarge-diameter containers.

• K-West Basin Sludge Path Forward: PNNL participated in theK-West Basin sludge disposition alternatives development andevaluation process, which established the technical frameworkfor the K-West Basin Sludge Retrieval and Storage SystemRequest for Proposals. PNNL staff members were instrumentalto defining and documenting the physical and chemicalproperties of the various K-West Basin sludge streams for use inthe Request for Proposal.

• Support for K-Basin Sludge Design and Safety Basis Develop-ment and Documentation: PNNL performed laboratory- andbench-scale studies and conducted technical analyses andengineering evaluations that established defensible design andsafety basis parameters for the retrieval, shipment, and storage ofK-Basin sludge. PNNL staff incorporated results from thesestudies and co-authored project technical basis documents.

K-East Basin CanisterSludge Sampling

Mordenite(Ca,Na2,K2)AI2Si10-7H20

2


Nondestructive Evaluation ofContamination in the Floorand Walls of the K-East BasinThe SNF Project contracted with PNNL to performnondestructive evaluation of the K-East Basin to determineconcrete contamination levels, including depth of penetration,from selected wall and floor locations below the basinwaterline, in support of basin closure activities.

PNNL staff developed a submersible gamma ray spectrometer(one-of-a-kind technology) that utilized a mercuric iodide solid-state semi-conducting crystal for performing nondestructiveevaluation of the highly contaminated K-East fuel storage basin.PNNL staff designed, fabricated, tested, and deployed twoseparate detector systems to measure contamination levels onthe basin walls and floor. The wall detector system was takenout of operation, but the floor detector was deployed success-fully. Due to the loss of the wall detector system, specialequipment was designed to enable the floor detector system totake one wall measurement.

A post-campaign calibration was performed, confirming that thesystem was still functioning properly. Data developed by PNNLstaff were used by the SNF Project to prepare its deactivationstrategy.

Benefits of the PNNL technology include:• Non-invasive measurement of contamination levels• Compact size of the detector system (able to fit within the

existing fuel canister racks) provided the ability to takemeasurements from the basin floor

• Relatively easy to deploy, requiring no maintenance or liquidnitrogen cooling.

The K-East Basin was more contaminated than originally thoughtand will require aggressive cleaning to reduce contaminationlevels. As a follow-on activity to the nondestructive evaluation,PNNL staff evaluated underwater decontamination techniquescurrently available. A program was initiated to analyze theHydrolase system for application at the K-East Basin.

Constellation TechnologyMercuric Iodide DetectorModule

Mercuric IodideDetector System

3


Proposal for Processing SNF Scrap at the325 BuildingFluor Hanford requested that PNNL assess the viability of receiving,processing, and packaging SNF scrap in the RadiochemicalProcessing Laboratory and produce an initial schedule and costestimate. A decision on SNF scrap processing is pending.

SNF scrap may be discovered during K-Basin deactivation. Require-ments for managing that material will be driven by: 1) whether thematerial is SNF or waste, and 2) whether the quantity of materialmandates application of nuclear material safeguards. Fragments thatare nominally greater than or equal to 0.25 inch will be consideredSNF.

Fluor Hanford considered other onsite facilities for removing,conditioning, and packaging SNF scrap, but the RadiochemicalProcessing Laboratory possesses the best overall capability tosupport this mission. Fluor Hanford asked PNNL to assess theviability of receiving, processing, and packaging SNF scrap in theRadiochemical Processing Laboratory and to prepare an initialschedule and cost estimate.

PAS-1 Cask Loaded forTransfer to RPL

PAS-1 Cask Unloadedat RPL

4


Plutonium StabilizationScientific Basis for Modificationsto Plutonium Stabilization andPackaging StandardsPNNL co-developed and documented the scientific basis formodifications to the plutonium stabilization and packagingstandards, which saves costly breakdowns in the thermalstabilization equipment and eliminates the time- and dose-intensive washing step.

• PNNL staff performed critical data analyses.

• PNNL staff co-authored (with Fluor Hanford, Rocky Flats,Savannah River, Los Alamos National Laboratory, andU.S. Department of Energy Albuquerque OperationsOffice personnel) the technical equivalency justificationdocument that served as the basis for the approval oflower-temperature stabilization of the high-chlorideplutonium items.

• PNNL staff analyzed prompt gamma spectra and createdmoisture measurement rationales (in close collaborationwith Plutonium Finishing Plant [PFP] scientists andengineers) to identify those high-chloride plutonium itemscontaining electro-refining salts that are candidates forlower-temperature thermal stabilization.

• PNNL staff determined the characteristics of the low-temperature stabilized high-chloride plutonium productsthat would be important during storage.

High-Chloride Plutonium

5


High-Chloride Material Processing at PFPPNNL staff developed and optimized the processes needed to stabilizesome of the U.S. Department of Energy’s most challenging plutoniumlegacy materials, including high-chloride oxides. This effort allowedFluor Hanford to avoid the cost, time, and dose from cleaning out aglovebox and installing new equipment.

To address the issues associated with the high-chloride plutoniumitems, PNNL staff conducted:

• Laboratory testing (fundedby the Nuclear MaterialsFocus Area)

• Large-scale processdevelopment testing of awashing process and afurnace system (fundedby PFP)

• Bench-scale testing andanalyses to support lower-temperature stabilization(funded by theU.S. Department ofEnergy EnvironmentalManagement Office ofScience and Technology).

Iron Chloride Deposits Inside FilterHousing After Processing 20 wt%Chloride Salts (NaCl/KCl/MgCl2)at 750°C in Prototype Furnace

6


Groundwater ProtectionPNNL assisted Fluor Hanford with strategic planning andimplementation documents, workshops, environmental riskassessments, sediment characterization, field experiments, andlaboratory studies supporting Hanford Site groundwaterprotection, monitoring, and remediation.

• PNNL characterized 300-Area uranium-bearing sedimentsand made uranium adsorption measurements that providedscientific understanding of uranium behavior in Hanford soilsand the technical basis for closure decisions.

• Completed reactive transport field experiment with (stable)strontium and development/application of inverse calibrationmethods. Continued laboratory studies of exposure anduptake of strontium-90 by aquatic species to provideecological risk assessment data for the System AssessmentCapability and site-specific assessments. These data providethe scientific basis for assessments of risk and the need forfuture remedial action.

PNNL Assisted Fluor Hanford in Supporting Hanford Site Groundwater Protection,Monitoring, and Remediation.

7


• PNNL staff assisted Fluor Hanford in the development ofHanford Site Groundwater Strategy - Protection, Monitoring,and Remediation (DOE/RL-2002-59). Staff facilitated teaminteraction, drafted the document, incorporated comments,and performed final document production functions.

• PNNL staff assisted Fluor Hanford with drafting, editing,and producing Hanford’s Groundwater Management Plan:Accelerated Cleanup and Protection (DOE/RL-2002-68). Thedocument provides the implementation plan for the groundwaterstrategy and serves as the basis for groundwater protection andremediation through the end of the current contract.

• PNNL held workshops with regulators and Tribal Nations toachieve consensus on requirements to be addressed in future site-wide assessments and Native American use scenarios that thetribes would support.

• Provided environmental risk assessments in support of theGroundwater Protection Program’s Regional Closure Strategyand the solid waste environmental impact statement.

8


Risk and Decision ToolsIntegrated Risk Analysis to SupportContract Management DecisionsPNNL worked with Fluor Hanford to develop and apply riskanalysis to support various levels of decision-making andintegrate risk analysis across these levels. Fluor Hanford has acorporate approach for risk management, the Business RiskManagement Framework. PNNL has worked with Fluor Hanfordto extend the framework to include quantitative analysis usingMonte Carlo simulation. This approach was applied to riskanalysis for several projects:

• PFP baseline cost to estimate contingency• K-East Basin sludge removal schedule• K-Basin deactivation schedule for the “grout and remove”

baseline change request• K-Basin deactivation baseline schedule.

Based on this project-level work, PNNL used similar tools toquantify risk associated with project execution and used thesetools to support Fluor Hanford decision-making and the impactsfrom various funding changes. This work included:

• Risk analysis for cesium and strontium capsules dry storage,transuranic waste shipping, transuranic waste retrieval,U-Plant, and 224-T demolition

• Integrating cost and schedule risk from the re-baselining riskassessment to estimate fee impacts.

This work demonstrated:

• The value of project cost and schedule risk information formaking contract management decisions, as well as forproject management, thus reinforcing the need for goodproject-level risk information.

• The added value of quantitative analysis to the standardFluor Hanford Business Risk Management Frameworkapproach can be achieved in a very cost-effective manner.

K-East Floor Sludge

9


Decontamination andDecommissioning ActivitiesAlternative Approach for Legacy PlutoniumHoldup DisposalPNNL staff led the acquisition of nondestructive analysis capabilitiesfor the PFP decontamination and decommissioning, created a newapproach for designating large items as low-level waste, modified anexisting portable alpha instrument to extend its range, developed thetechnical strategy for Plutonium Reclamation Facility decommission-ing, developed the technology selection strategy for gloveboxdecontamination, and obtained EM-50 funding to define what“demolition ready” means at Hanford.

• PNNL led the application of nondestructive analysis capabilitiesfor the PFP decontamination and decommissioning project thathave reduced the time and cost to assay waste for safeguardsaccountability and for Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP)certification.

• PNNL led efforts to create and implement a new approach fordesignating large items as low-level waste using a statisticalmethod that greatly reduces the time and worker exposureneeded for those measurements.

• PNNL developed a modification to an existing portable alphamonitor (PAM) to extend its range for use during decontaminationand decommissioning operations. (Ordinarily, PAMs are used todetect very low levels of contamination on workers and tools.The new, much-higher range allows workers to designate items assurface-contaminated, low-level waste, transuranic waste, etc.)

• PNNL led (and continues to lead in FY04) development of thetechnical strategy for decommissioning the PlutoniumReclamation Facility.

• PNNL developed the strategy for testing and selectingtechnologies to decontaminate gloveboxes and equipment.

• PNNL obtained EM-50 funding to complete a detailed analysisof what constitutes “demolition ready” at Hanford utilizingavailable systems. Recommendations on risk mitigationstrategies were developed.

Pre-Conceptual CanyonRobotic Removal Platform

10


Plutonium Process Support LaboratoryTransfer of StaffPNNL proposed to Fluor Hanford to jointly evaluate the potentialfor early transition of selected Plutonium Process SupportLaboratory staff and equipment to retain onsite expertise andcapability to support PFP decommissioning needs as well asPNNL nuclear materials mission needs.

The PFP Decommissioning Project is planning for transition andcloseout of the PFP Plutonium Process Support Laboratory.Decommissioning of the support laboratory will begin after thePFP stabilization and packaging campaign is completed (betweenDecember 2003 and February 2004) and end by September2004. Key technical capabilities and subject matter expertise ofPlutonium Process Support Laboratory staff will be needed tosupport decommissioning (e.g., evaluating and developingdisposition strategies for nuclear material being removed fromthe facility as part of the legacy plutonium holdup and processequipment removal operations).

PNNL identified candidate Plutonium Process SupportLaboratory staff as potential hires. Based on the interviews, joboffers were made to selected staff. Fluor Hanford and PNNL willestablish a Memorandum of Understanding regarding the fundinglevel for the former Plutonium Process Support Laboratory staff tosupport PFP decommissioning activities. Fluor Hanford alsooffered PNNL the opportunity to acquire specific PlutoniumProcess Support Laboratory equipment for decontamination,packaging, and shipping.

Plutonium Process SupportLaboratory Staff MemberWorking in Glovebox

11


Waste ManagementPNNL staff evaluated nondestructive analysis and ”Visual ExaminationTechnique” for PFP waste packaging, produced radioactive solid wasteforecasts, maintained and updated the Solid Waste Projection Model,and assisted with completion of the Hanford Site Solid WasteManagement Environmental Impact Statement Technical InformationDocument.

• PNNL evaluated the feasibility of performing WIPP-certifiednondestructive analysis and Visual Examination Technique as partof PFP waste packaging.

• PNNL assisted Waste Management in the collection, verification,analysis, and reporting of radioactive solid waste forecast data forboth national and Hanford Site needs. Support included develop-ing the Solid Waste Integrated Forecast Technical (SWIFT) datacollection software and website.

• PNNL maintained and updated the Solid Waste Projection Modelfor use in evaluating the capabilities and constraints of the WasteManagement system. Evaluations performed using the modelincluded: developing the waste volume throughputs for the “GoldChart,” developing a loading plan for the Central Waste Complex,providing input to the land disposal restrictions report, andevaluating alternative strategies for the M-91 Transuranic WasteProgram Management Plan.

• PNNL assisted with the completion of the Hanford Site Solid WasteManagement Environmental Impact Statement TechnicalInformation Document. This document contains detailedinformation about the Waste Management program, includingfacility descriptions, waste characteristics and inventory data,operating scenarios, and environmental release data.

Central Waste Complex

PNNL-SA-40204

For More Information, Contact:

Terry WaltonEnvironmental Management(509) [email protected]

Documents

The Fluor Hanford/PNNL Partnershipenergyenvironment.pnnl.gov/brochures/Fluor_Hanford.pdf · The Fluor Hanford/PNNL Partnership a summary of Contributions for FY03 Proposal for Processing