Project Synopsis
Develop a preliminary design of the balance of plant systems around a modular radiological waste pretreatment system at the Department of Energy Hanford Site.
Project Summary
Process Engineering Associates, LLC (PROCESS) was engaged as a sub-contractor by a multi-disciplined engineering firm and tasked with developing a preliminary design of the balance of plant systems around a modular radiological waste pretreatment system. This includes a new waste tank, and any project/facility interfaces in support of a critical decision-2 (CD-2) deliverable for the West Area Risk Management (WARM) project at the Department of Energy Hanford Site. This waste pretreatment system is made up of ion exchange columns which removes cesium from liquid waste stored in large underground storage tanks. Balance of plant equipment for this project included three (3) existing underground storage tanks and one (1) new underground storage tank with pumps that were sized by PROCESS. Additionally, PROCESS performed a hydraulic analysis on all associated balance of plant piping. This piping included all waste lines to and from the modules containing the ion exchange columns, floor drains from pump pits and valve pits and truck load/unload stations, flush water used to clear waste lines, and tank vents.
In this process, the waste feed for the module originates in the Double Shelled Tank (DST) System and is fed to the 200W process modules where Cesium isotope 137 (Cs-137) and Strontium isotope 90 (Sr-90) is removed by Crystalline Silicotitanate (CST) ion exchange media. The process modules include a process enclosure with the filtration and ion exchange equipment and an ancillary enclosure supplying service air and caustic flush. After flowing through the ion exchange columns, pretreated waste will be sent to a Pretreated Waste Storage Tank for transfer to a Load In/Load Out (LILO) station, where it is loaded into transport tankers for shipment to a permitted treatment facility off-site.
PROCESS Project tasks included:
- Block flow diagrams (BFDs) preparation
- Process flow diagrams (PFDs) preparation
- Material and energy balance preparation
- Hydraulic calculations preparation using Chem Stations CHEMCAD process simulation software
- Process hazard analysis (PHA) support
- Inter-discipline support.
Industry Type
Nuclear Waste Processing
Utilized Skills
- Preliminary process design
- Balance of plant design
- Process support of multi-disciplined engineering teams.