Demonstration of fluidic pulse jet mixing for a horizontal waste storage tank

Abstract

STE rThis report has been reproduced directly from the best available copy. .3 .4 . .6 . .8 . .10 . .12 . .14 .15 . .17 . .19 . LIST OF FIGURES 26.Tank W-21 southwest comer after Campaign 4 (BVST-0723-4). . . . . 5 1 27. 28.Tank W-21 southeast comer after Campaign 4 (BVST-0718-4). . . . . 52Tank W-21 east side viewed south after Campaign 4 (BVST-0719 4). 53 29. 30.Tank Ridge National Laboratory ( O N ) . The pulse jet system, consisting of seven modular equipment skids, was installed and commissioned in about 7 weeks and operated remotely for 52 days to remove about 88% of the sludge in the tank. The system used specially designed fluidic jet pumps and pulse vessels, along with existing submerged nozzles for mixing the settled sludges with existing supernate in the tank. The operation also used existing piping and progressive cavity pumps for retrieval and transfer of the mixture. A total of 64,000 gal of liquid was required to transfer 6300 gal of sludge to the Melton Valley Storage Tanks (IvlVSTs) designated for consolidation of all ORNL RH-TRU sludges. Of the liquid used for the retrieval, 88% was existing or recycled tank supernate and only 7770 gal of additional process water was added to the system. Minimizing the addition of process water is extremely important at ORNL, where tank system storage capacity is limited. A simple manual sluicer was used periodically to wash down and aid the removal of localized sludge heels.After completion of the pulse jet campaigns, the manual sluicer was modified to provide a higher flow rate for removal of additional quantities of the remaining sludge heel. Six thousand gallons of process water was required to remove an additional 550 gal of sludge. After the manual sluicer operation, dilute nitric acid was added to the tank in an effort to dissolve the majority of the remaining 350 gal of sludge. After a contact time of several weeks under static conditions, the acid was mixed with the pulse jet system for several hours and transfemed from the tank. Ninety-eight percent of the sludge was removed from the tank, or about 7100 gal. It was estimated that about 100 gallons of sludge remained in the tank after this operation.

The Role of Cohesive Particle Interactions on Solids Uniformity and Mobilization During Jet Mixing: Testing Recommendations

“…Perona et al (1994) studied jet mixing in the horizontal storage tanks at ORNL. Kent et al (1998) demonstrated using PJMs for use in the horizontal storage tanks. and Terrones and Eyler (1993) investigated using submerged liquid jets to mobilize and mix non-Newtonian sludge in horizontal, cylindrical, waste storage tanks (similar to the ORNL Melton Valley Storage Tanks) using the modified time-dependent, finite-volume TEMPEST computer program.…”

Basis for Selection of a Residual Waste Retrieval System for Gunite and Associated Tank W-9 at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory

“…al. 6 The existing Moyno pumps would be used to transfer the waste from the BVESTs to the MVSTs. This option is anticipated to require the use of additional tanks for conditioning and storage of the wastes retrieved from W-9 before these wastes are transferred to the BVESTs and to supply recycled supernate.…”