Click on the link to see the original article.
Crews at the Hanford Site in Washington state are celebrating two decades of being able to safely test new technology and equipment prototypes for handling radioactive waste, thanks to a mock-up of a storage tank.
The Cold Test Facility (CTF), a full-scale mock-up of the single-shell storage tanks used at Hanford, is a "key player" in the management of the chemical and radioactive waste stored at the Hanford Site, according to the Office of Environmental Management (OEM), since going into service in 2002.
"Hanford crews built the innovative facility to develop ways to retrieve the waste without having to subject equipment or workers to a radioactive environment," the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) stated in a July 26 announcement of the CTF anniversary.
Underground storage tanks at the Hanford Site contain more than 56,000,000 gallons of chemical and nuclear waste, the DOE reports. At some point, that waste will be moved from the tanks to the site's waste treatment plant, to be converted into a stable, glass-like substance, a process that "isn't easy," according to the DOE, because of the age and design of the tanks and the danger of handling caustic hazardous waste.
Using the CTF, "(w)orkers can simulate the kinds of conditions that would be found inside a tank," the announcement states, "while also testing new equipment and technologies which they believe could help remove tank waste that is in difficult-to-reach places or in a semi-solid state."
Robotic arms, a vacuum retrieval system, specialized high-pressure water nozzles, in-tank camera systems and tools for inspections and repairs are among the prominent technologies developed and refined in the CTF, the DOE reports.
“Most of these systems are complex engineered products that require operational testing prior to deployment,” Dave Saueressig, WRPS maintenance manager, said in the report. “And some of the tests are minor modifications to existing tools or equipment to validate process improvements.”
The CTF is also used to train new employees and give experienced employees the chance to brush-up their skills for infrequent tasks, the DOE states. The facility also has a briefing center to educate visitors on the history and importance of the waste storage tanks.
“Testing equipment and practicing high-risk work in a mock-up setting is extremely important at Hanford,” Ricky Bang, director of the Office of River Protection (ORP) Tank Farms Program Division, said in the report. “Over the last two decades, the Cold Test Facility has helped us reduce the risks to our workers and develop the tools they need to work in the waste tanks.”
Bonyeza kiungo ili kuona makala ya awali. Wafanyakazi wa Hanford Site katika jimbo la Washington wanaadhimisha miaka ishirini ya kuweza kujaribu teknolojia mpya na vifaa vya kuendesha taka za mnururisho kwa usalama, shukrani kwa mfano wa tangi la kuhifadhi. Kituo cha Majaribio ya Baridi (CTF) ni mfano wa kiwango cha juu cha tank za kuhifadhi za ganda moja zinazotumiwa katika Hanford, na ni "mchezaji muhimu" katika usimamizi wa taka za kemikali na nyuklia zilizohifadhiwa katika eneo la Hanford, kulingana na Ofisi ya Usimamizi wa Mazingira (OEM). "Kampuni ya Hanford ilijenga kituo hicho cha ubunifu ili kuendeleza njia za kuokoa taka bila kuwa na vifaa au wafanyakazi katika mazingira ya mnururisho, ""Wizara ya Nishati ya Marekani (DOE) ilisema katika tangazo la Julai 26 la maadhimisho ya miaka ya CTF." Hifadhi ya chini ya ardhi ya Hanford Site ina zaidi ya galoni milioni 56 za taka za kemikali na nyuklia, ripoti ya DOE. "Kama matokeo, taka hizo zitahamishwa kutoka kwenye matangi hadi kwenye kiwanda cha kusafisha taka, ili kugeuzwa kuwa ""kiumbe thabiti, kama kioo,"" mchakato ambao ""si rahisi,"" kulingana na DEA, kwa sababu ya umri na muundo wa matangi na hatari ya kushughulikia taka hatari." "Kwa kutumia CTF, ""wafanyakazi wanaweza kuiga aina ya hali ambayo ingekuwa kupatikana ndani ya tank, wakati pia kupima vifaa vipya na teknolojia ambayo wanaamini inaweza kusaidia kuondoa taka tank kwamba ni katika maeneo ya vigumu kufikia au katika hali ya nusu imara.""" Mikono ya roboti, mfumo wa kupata utupu, nozzles maalum za maji ya shinikizo la juu, mifumo ya kamera ya ndani ya tangi na zana za ukaguzi na ukarabati ni kati ya teknolojia maarufu zilizotengenezwa na kusafishwa katika CTF. "Mengi ya mifumo hii ni bidhaa ngumu za uhandisi ambazo zinahitaji upimaji wa uendeshaji kabla ya kupelekwa", Dave Saueressig, meneja wa matengenezo ya WRPS, alisema katika ripoti hiyo. "Na baadhi ya vipimo ni marekebisho madogo ya zana zilizopo au vifaa vya kuthibitisha maendeleo ya mchakato. ""CTF pia hutumiwa kufundisha wafanyakazi wapya na kutoa wafanyakazi wenye uzoefu nafasi ya brush-up ujuzi wao kwa ajili ya kazi nadra, DOE inasema." Kituo hicho pia kina kituo cha kutoa maagizo ili kuwaelimisha wageni juu ya historia na umuhimu wa matangi ya kuhifadhi taka. "Kujaribu vifaa na kufanya mazoezi ya kazi ya hatari katika mazingira ya mfano ni muhimu sana huko Hanford,"" alisema Ricky Bang, mkurugenzi wa Idara ya Ulinzi wa Mto (ORP) Idara ya Programu ya Mashamba ya Tank." "Kwa miaka ishirini iliyopita, Kituo cha Majaribio ya Baridi kimetusaidia kupunguza hatari kwa wafanyakazi wetu na kuendeleza zana wanazohitaji kufanya kazi katika matangi ya taka. """