AndreaBozzo/ceres-open-data-index huggingface dataset:
Investigation of waste glass pouring behavior over a knife edge

The development of verifications technology for converting radioactive waste into a glass solid began in the early 1960s. Some problems encountered in the verifications process are still waiting for a solution. One of them is wicking. During pouring, the glass stream flows down the wall of the pour spout until it reaches an angled cut in the wall. At this point, the stream is supposed to break cleanly away from the wall of the pour spout and fall freely into the canister. However, the glass stream is often pulled toward the wall and does not always fall into the canister, a phenomenon known as wicking. Phase 1 involves the assembly, construction, and testing of a meter capable of supplying molten glass at operational flow rates over a break-off point knife edge. Phase 2 will evaluate the effects of glass and pour spout temperatures as well as glass flow rates on the glass flow behavior over the knife edge. Phase 3 will identify the effects on wicking resulting from varying the knife edge diameter and height as well as changing the back-cut angle of the knife edge. The following tasks were completed in FY97: Design the experimental system for glass melting and pouring; Acquire and assemble the meter system; and Perform initial research work.

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Melting, solidification, remelting, and separation of glass and metal

Several high-temperature verification technologies have been developed for the treatment of a wide range of mixed waste types in both the low-level waste and transuranic (TRU) mixed waste categories currently in storage at DOE sites throughout the nation. The products of these processes are an oxide slag phase and a reduced metal phase. The metal phase has the potential to be recycled within the DOE Complex. Enhanced slag/metal separation methods are needed to support these processes. This research project involves an experimental investigation of the melting, solidification, remelting, and separation of glass and metal and the development of an efficient separation technology. The ultimate goal of this project is to find an efficient way to separate the slag phase from the metal phase in the molten state. This two-year project commenced in October 1995 (FY96). In the first fiscal year, the following tasks were accomplished: (1) A literature review and an assessment of the baseline glass and metal separation technologies were performed. The results indicated that the baseline technology yields a high percentage of glass in the metal phase, requiring further separation. (2) The main melting and solidification system setup was established. A number of melting and solidification tests were conducted. (3) Temperature distribution, solidification patterns, and flow field in the molten metal pool were simulated numerically for the solidification processes of molten aluminum and iron steel. (4) Initial designs of the laboratory-scale DCS and CS technologies were also completed. The principal demonstration separation units were constructed. (5) An application for a patent for an innovative liquid-liquid separation technology was submitted and is pending.

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Assessment of strippable coatings for decontamination and decommissioning

Strippable or temporary coatings were developed to assist in the decontamination of the Three Mile Island (TMI-2) reactor. These coatings have become a viable option during the decontamination and decommissioning (D and D) of both US Department of Energy (DOE) and commercial nuclear facilities to remove or fix loose contamination on both vertical and horizontal surfaces. A variety of strippable coatings are available to D and D professionals. However, these products exhibit a wide range of performance criteria and uses. The Hemispheric Center for Environmental Technology (HCET) at Florida International University (FIU) was commissioned to perform a 2-year investigation into strippable coatings. This investigation was divided into four parts: (1) identification of commercially available strippable coating products; (2) survey of D and D professionals to determine current uses of these coatings and performance criteria; (3) design and implementation of a non-radiological testing program to evaluate the physical properties of these coatings; and (4) design and implementation of a radiological testing program to determine decontamination factors and effects of exposure to ionizing radiation. Activities during fiscal year 1997 are described.

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Engineering development of slurry bubble column reactor (SBCR) technology. Quarterly report, October 1--December 31, 1995

The major technical objectives of this program are threefold: (1) to develop the design tools and a fundamental understanding of the fluid dynamics of a slurry bubble column reactor to maximize reactor productivity, (2) to develop the mathematical reactor design models and gain an understanding of the hydrodynamic fundamentals under industrially relevant process conditions, and (3) to develop an understanding of the hydrodynamics and their interaction with the chemistries occurring in the bubble column reactor. Successful completion of these objectives will permit more efficient usage of the reactor column and tighter design criteria, increase overall reactor efficiency, and ensure a design that leads to stable reactor behavior when scaling up to large diameter reactors. Progress is summarized.

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An Investigation for Disposal of Drill Cuttings into Unconsolidated Sandstones and Clayey Sands

This project include experimental data and a set of models for relating elastic moduli/porosity/texture and static-to-dynamic moduli to strength and failure relationships for unconsolidated sands and clayey sands. The results of the project should provide the industry with a basis for wider use of oil base drilling fluids in water sensitive formations by implementing drill cutting injection into existing wells at abandoned formations and controlling fracture geometry to prevent ground water contamination.

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Microwave combustion and sintering without isostatic pressure

In recent years interest has grown rapidly in the application of microwave energy to the processing of ceramics, composites, polymers, and other materials. Advances in the understanding of microwave/materials interactions will facilitate the production of new ceramic materials with superior mechanical properties. One application of particular interest is the use of microwave energy for the mobilization of uranium for subsequent redeposition. Phase III (FY98) will focus on the microwave assisted chemical vapor infiltration tests for mobilization and redeposition of radioactive species in the mixed sludge waste. Uranium hexachloride and uranium (IV) borohydride are volatile compounds for which the chemical vapor infiltration procedure might be developed for the separation of uranium. Microwave heating characterized by an inverse temperature profile within a preformed ceramic matrix will be utilized for CVI using a carrier gas. Matrix deposition is expected to commence from the inside of the sample where the highest temperature is present. The preform matrix materials, which include aluminosilicate based ceramics and silicon carbide based ceramics, are all amenable to extreme volume reduction, densification, and vitrification. Important parameters of microwave sintering such as frequency, power requirement, soaking temperature, and holding time will be investigated to optimize process conditions for the volatilization of uranyl species using a reactive carrier gas in a microwave chamber.

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Large-bore pipe decontamination

The decontamination and decommissioning (D and D) of 1200 buildings within the US Department of Energy-Office of Environmental Management (DOE-EM) Complex will require the disposition of miles of pipe. The disposition of large-bore pipe, in particular, presents difficulties in the area of decontamination and characterization. The pipe is potentially contaminated internally as well as externally. This situation requires a system capable of decontaminating and characterizing both the inside and outside of the pipe. Current decontamination and characterization systems are not designed for application to this geometry, making the direct disposal of piping systems necessary in many cases. The pipe often creates voids in the disposal cell, which requires the pipe to be cut in half or filled with a grout material. These methods are labor intensive and costly to perform on large volumes of pipe. Direct disposal does not take advantage of recycling, which could provide monetary dividends. To facilitate the decontamination and characterization of large-bore piping and thereby reduce the volume of piping required for disposal, a detailed analysis will be conducted to document the pipe remediation problem set; determine potential technologies to solve this remediation problem set; design and laboratory test potential decontamination and characterization technologies; fabricate a prototype system; provide a cost-benefit analysis of the proposed system; and transfer the technology to industry. This report summarizes the activities performed during fiscal year 1997 and describes the planned activities for fiscal year 1998. Accomplishments for FY97 include the development of the applicable and relevant and appropriate regulations, the screening of decontamination and characterization technologies, and the selection and initial design of the decontamination system.

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Task 3.0 -- Advanced power systems: Subtask 3.18 -- Ash behavior in power systems. Semi-annual report, June 1--December 31, 1997

Advanced power systems such as integrated gasifier combined cycle systems and fluidized bed systems are at the forefront of power industry research because of the need for increased efficiency and the reduction of greenhouse gases. Ash behavior in power systems can have a significant impact on the design and performance of these systems. The Energy and Environmental Research Center (EERC) has developed a focused research initiative aimed at filling gaps in the understanding of fundamental mechanisms of ash behavior, which has relevance to commercial application and marketable products associated with advanced power systems. This program develops methods and means to better understand and mitigate adverse coal ash behavior in advanced power systems and can act to relieve the US reliance on diminishing recoverable oil resources and other greenhouse-producing fossil fuels. Subtask 3.18 is structured as three tasks. Task 1 pertains to summarizing the critical issues in ash behavior, especially for advanced power systems. Task 2 focuses on fundamental ash sintering and viscosity-ash composition relationships that are critical for developing a better mechanistic understanding of ash deposit formation and for predicting ash behavior. Task 3 is aimed primarily at determining the role of the ash chemistry and phase relationships for specific ash interactions in advanced power systems. The role of sulfides in the formation of ash deposits in gasification systems and the factors that influence alloy corrosion in supercritical boilers will be specifically analyzed. Task results to date are presented.

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Treatment of metal-laden hazardous wastes with advanced clean coal technology by-products. Quarterly report, September 30--December 30, 1996

This report describes the activities of the project team during the reporting period. The principal work has focused upon microscopic evaluation of sandblast residue treated with two by-products, completing scholarly work, seeking a subcontractor to replace Mill Service, Inc. (MSI) for the field work of Phase 2, preparing and giving a poster, and making and responding to several outside contacts. The main part of this report is found in an appendix entitled, ``Chemistry and microstructure of sand blast waste and its residue when treated with by-products from clean coal technologies.``

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Management of dry flue gas desulfurization by-products in underground mines. Topical report, October 1, 1993--March 31, 1998

The DESEVAL-TRANS program is developed for the purpose of helping the engineer to design and economically evaluate coal combustion byproduct transportation systems that will operate between the power plant and the disposal site. The objective of the research project was to explore the technical, environmental and economic feasibility of disposing coal combustion byproducts in underground mines in Illinois. The DESEVAL-TRANS (short for Design and Evaluation of Transportation Systems) was developed in the Materials Handling and Systems Economics branch of the overall project. Four types of coal combustion byproducts were targeted for transportation and handling: Conventional fly ash; Scrubber sludge; Fluidized Bed Combustion (FBC) fly ash; and Spent-bed ash. Several transportation and handling systems that could handle these byproducts were examined. These technologies were classified under three general categories: Truck; Rail; and Container. The purpose of design models is to determine the proper number of transport units, silo capacity, loading and unloading rates, underground placement capacity, number of shifts, etc., for a given case, defined by a distance-tonnage combination. The cost computation models were developed for the determination of the operating and capital costs. An economic evaluation model, which is common to all categories, was also developed to establish the cost-per-ton of byproduct transported.

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Concrete decontamination by electro-hydraulic scabbling (EHS). Final report

Contamination of concrete structures by radionuclides, hazardous metals and organic substances (including PCB`s) occurs at many DOE sites. The contamination of concrete structures (walls, floors, ceilings, etc.) varies in type, concentration, and especially depth of penetration into the concrete. In many instances, only the surface layer of concrete is contaminated, up to a depth of one inch, according to estimates provided in the R and D ID document. Then, removal of the concrete surface layer (scabbling) is considered to be the most effective decontamination method. Textron Systems Corp. (TSC) has developed a scabbling concept based on electro-mechanical phenomena accompanying strong electric pulses generated by applying high voltage at the concrete/water interface. Depending on the conditions, the electric discharge may occur either through a waste layer or through the concrete body itself. This report describes the development, testing, and results of this electro-mechanical process. Phase 1 demonstrated the feasibility of the process for the controlled removal of a thin layer of contaminated concrete. Phase 2 designed, fabricated, and tested an integrated subscale unit. This was tested at Fernald. In Phase 3, the scabbling unit was reconfigured to increase its power and processing rate. Technology transfer to an engineering contracting company is continuing.

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Fossil fuel conversion -- Measurement and modeling. Topical report, September 14, 1993--June 30, 1997

Progress is described on the following tasks: Fixed-bed devolatilization processes; Fixed-bed combustion and gasification processes; Physical processes in transport reactors; Chemical processes in transport reactors; Advanced fixed-bed model development and evaluation; Advanced two-dimensional transport reactor model development and evaluation; Modeling of gas phase combustion; Modeling of fluidized bed systems; Advanced fixed-bed code application and implementation; Advanced two-dimensional transport gasification code applications and implementation; Modeling of fluidized-bed system applications and implementation; and Applications of ACERC combustion and gasification codes and AFR diagnostic capabilities to systems of interest to METC.

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[Evaluation of high-efficiency gas-liquid contactors for natural gas processing]. Semi-annual report, October 1, 1996--March 31, 1997

Progress is described on the following tasks related to removal of CO{sub 2} from natural gas: (1) Field experimental site selection to test the performance of N-formyl morpholine solvent in high efficiency packings; (2) Field experimental skid unit design and preliminary economic evaluations; (3) Field experimental studies; and (4) Data analysis and reports.

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Measurement techniques for local and global fluid dynamic quantities in two and three phase systems

Available measurement techniques for evaluation of global and local phase holdups, instantaneous and average phase velocities and for the determination of bubble sizes in gas-liquid and gas-liquid-solid systems are reviewed. Advantages and disadvantages of various techniques are discussed. Particular emphasis is placed on identifying methods that can be employed on large scale, thick wall, high pressure and high temperature reactors used in the manufacture of fuels and chemicals from synthesis gas and its derivatives.

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High volume-high value usage of flue gas desulfurization (FGD) by-products in underground mines: Phase 2 -- Field investigations. Quarterly report, July 1--September 30, 1997

During this quarter, the majority of activity focused on grout emplacement at the Lodestar Energy Inc. (formerly Costain Coal Co.) surface mine auger holes described in the previous report. Specifically, two different types of grout pumps were investigated: a piston pump used in previous demonstrations, and a progressive cavity pump. The latter is currently utilized for grouting in underground coal mines, is relatively small and portable, and is capable of receiving dry material (e.g., fly ash) and water, mixing it to produce a grout, and pumping the grout at high pressure. It is therefore worthwhile to investigate it`s potential use in auger mine filling. Several field demonstrations were conducted using the different pumps. Numerous problems were encountered when using the progressive cavity pump, all of which were related to its inability to handle the highly reactive and heterogeneous FBC fly ash. Even relatively small ash agglomerates (<1 in. in diameter), which were not a problem for the larger piston pump, caused blockages in the progressive cavity pump which not only proved extremely difficult to clear, but also resulted in significant mechanical failures. Furthermore, mixing of dry fly ash with water within the progressive cavity pump was inconsistent and difficult to control. Consequently, the pump was unable to completely fill even a single auger hole. It was found that a large proportion of bed ash in the grout generated a large amount of heat and caused early stiffening of the material. During the experiments, cylinders of grout were prepared for compressive strength testing, and moisture contents were determined on-site. A thermocouple assembly was also constructed to record grout temperatures within an auger hole.

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Preconversion catalytic deoxygenation of phenolic functional groups. Quarterly report, July 1--September 30, 1996

Most industrial processes require the use hydrocarbon based solvents that have been shown to hurt the environment. Chlorine radicals from chlorine based hydrocarbons are considered to be a major factor in the depletion of the stratospheric ozone levels. Because of the health and environmental problems these solvents cause, there is renewed interest in water soluble organometallic complexes that can be used as catalysts in the industrially important reactions. This report will discuss the synthesis and characterization of Ni trimers involving two phosphines, bis(diphenylphosphino)methane and bis(diisopropylphosphino)-methane. Progress towards the synthesis of Ni trimers with new capping ligands will also be examined.

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Pegasus International, Inc. coating removal systems

The Pegasus Coating Removal System (PCRS) was demonstrated at Florida International University (FIU) where it was being evaluated for efficiency and cost. In conjunction with the FIU testing demonstration, a human factors assessment was conducted to assess the hazards and associated safety and health issues of concern for workers utilizing this technology. The PCRS is a chemical paste that is applied to the surface using a brush, roller, or airless sprayer. After the type of PCRS, thickness, and dwell time have been determined, a laminated backed material is placed on top of the chemical paste to slow down the drying process and to provide a mechanism to strip-off the chemical. After the dwell time is reached, the chemical substrate can be removed. Scrapers may be used to break-loose the layers as necessary or to break-loose the layers that are not removed when the laminated paper is picked up. Residue may also be cleaned off of the surface with a damp sponge with an agitating motion, absorbent sponges, or a vacuum, as needed. The paint and removal agent is then placed in drums for disposal at a later time. During the assessment sampling was conducted for organic vapors and general observational techniques were conducted for ergonomics. Recommendations for improved worker safety and health during application and removal of the PCRS include: (1) work practices that reflect avoidance of exposure or reducing the risk of exposure; (2) assuring all PPE and equipment are compatible with the chemicals being used; (3) work practices that reduce the worker`s need to walk on the slippery surface caused by the chemical or the use of special anti-slip soles; (4) careful control of overspray (if a spray application is used,3623 ); and (5) the use of ergonomically designed long-handled tools to apply and remove the chemical (to alleviate some of the ergonomic concerns).

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High volume-high value usage of flue gas desulfurization (FGD) by-products in underground mines: Phase 2 -- Field investigations. Quarterly report, January 1--March 31, 1998

The factors that control the strength of FBC ash grout were the focus of work during this quarter. Samples were prepared at different water contents and placed into cylindrical PVC molds. At specified curing intervals, the grout cylinders were subjected to unconfined compressive strength testing as per procedures described in previous reports. Chemical, mineralogical, and microscopical analyses were also conducted on the samples. It was found that higher curing temperatures significantly increase the strength gain rate of the FBC ash grout, in agreement with earlier results. As expected, water content also exerts a strong influence on the strength of the grout. The compressive strength data obtained for the laboratory-prepared samples are in excellent agreement with strength data obtained on grout placed in auger holes during the field demonstrations. The data also indicate that the field samples suffered negligible deterioration over the course of the curing period in the auger holes. Analysis of the laboratory prepared grout samples using XRD revealed a mineralogy similar to the field samples. A correspondence between ettringite abundance and compressive strength was observed only during grout curing. The formation of minerals such as ettringite is apparently a good indication that curing reactions are progressing and that the grout strength is increasing, but mineral distribution by itself does not explain or predict final strength. The microscopy data, in combination with geotechnical and XRD data, suggest that the strength of the grout is largely a function of the density of an amorphous (or finely crystalline) material that comprises the majority of the cured grout. Therefore, an increase in density of this material results in an increase in grout strength.

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