Open AccessEM Task 12 -- Laser cleaning of contaminated painted surfaces. Semi-annual report, April 1--September 30, 1997
Author(s) -
Ames A. Grisanti,
R R Jenson,
Sarah Allan
Publication year - 1997
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Reports
DOI - 10.2172/666007
Subject(s) - nuclear decommissioning , human decontamination , task (project management) , computer science , process (computing) , reuse , software , work (physics) , environmental science , engineering , systems engineering , waste management , mechanical engineering , programming language , operating system
Surface decontamination of concrete and steel surfaces in nuclear facilities provides cost savings during decommissioning operations by allowing recycling or reuse of concrete and steel structures. Separation of radionuclides and other contamination from the concrete or steel substrates also allows reduction in volume of hazardous materials during the D and D (decontamination and decommissioning) process, resulting in further cost savings. Several techniques are available or under development for surface decontamination in nuclear facilities. Each technique has its merits; however, none of them is universally the best choice for all surface decontamination applications. Because of the multitude of factors which influence the environmental and economic aspects of selecting a surface decontamination technique, it is difficult to select the best method in a given situation; an objective basis for comparing techniques is needed. The objective of this project is to develop a software tool for use by personnel selecting a surface decontamination technique. The software will incorporate performance data for available surface decontamination techniques. The major activities in the project are broken down as follows: Task 1--Complete decision tree development; Task 2--Literature search for surface decontamination reports; Task 3--Compilation of database from literature data; Task 4--Sensitivity analysis and model design; Task 5--Design of model data structures; and Task 6--PC software design and coding. Work during this reporting period completed Tasks 1, 2, 3, 5, and 6. Task 4 activities resulted in a prototype of the model design; sensitivity analysis and model modifications are in progress at the time of this report. Task 4 will be complete prior to the end of December 1997. A working prototype of the software implementation of the surface decontamination model and technology database has been completed. The program developed at the Energy and Environmental Research Center (EERC) called Surface Decontamination Assistant allows comparison of surface decontamination techniques for a user-defined application scenario