Liquid Sampling and Tank Farm

DOE-HDBK-3010-94

7.0 Application Examples; Liquid Storage and Ion Exchange Examples

7.3.5 Liquid Sampling and Tank Farm

Release topics explored in this example are listed in Table 7-8.

Table 7-8. Liquid Sampling and Tank Farm Example Topics

Liquid

Metal

Powder

Surface

Criticality

Contamination

- Thermal stress

- N/A

- None

- Venting liquid

below surface

level

- Venting

superheated liquid

- Free-fall spill

7.3.5.1

Hazard Summary

This activity involves only liquid material. Plutonium process and liquid waste solutions are

stored in annular tanks in three small rooms located on the west wall of the wet processing

line maintenance room. These tanks receive solution and transfer it to gloveboxes via small

gear pumps. The sample glovebox, located adjacent to the tank storage areas, uses small

centrifugal pumps to circulate and sample tanks. The tanks are equipped with ever open

vents to the vessel vent system and pressure relief lines leading to a raschig ring sump.

Other than pump discharge fluid pressure of 0.14 MPa (20 psia), the major energy source in

the area is a branch-line from the 0.45 MPag (65 psig) instrument air main for remote

operation of tank inlet and outlet valves.

The tanks are geometrically favorable, not geometrically safe, so a solution criticality is

possible. Specific mitigation features include the raschig ring sump for spills and, for

misrouting of material, a relatively common annular design so that any one tank can hold the

maximum flowsheet plutonium concentration while remaining subcritical. Leaks and spills

are possible. There is no significant combustible loading in the area, but a large room fire

could boil liquid and potentially pressurize tanks. The hazard evaluation noted that no

documented estimation of tank venting capability had been made with regard to potential

heat fluxes from a fire.

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