Martin Marietta Energy Systems, Inc., P. O. Box 2002, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831-6501

H -- MOBILE VEHICLE FOR WASTE TANK REMEDIATION Due 041495. Contact, S. S. McNeely, 615/576-4814, R. G. Neal, 675-1476. The Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laborartoy (ORNL) is soliciting statements of interest in a program to test mobile vehicles for use in completion of the remediation of gunite waste storage tanks. These tanks are cylindrical with spherical domes. The diameter of the tanks varies from 20 feet to 50 feet and the depth is 25 feet from ground level. The depth includes 12 feet of vertical wall, 6 feet of headspace at center, and about 7 feet of overburden. The bulk of the radiochemical waste has been previously removed from the tanks using standard hydraulic sluicing techniques. However, a waste ``heel'' remains to be removed. The heel consists of soft sludge up to 30 inches deep with radiaion levels up to 100 Rads/hr maximum at the waste surface. One approach for the removal of the remaining heel involves the use of localized, high-pressure water jet sluicing with a vacuum waste conveyance system. A mobile vehicle is required to position the localized sluicing equpment throughout the tanks and perform other sampling, degris removal and decontamination funcatins. Deployment of the equipment will be trhough a 24 inch diameter tank riser. ORNL plans to contract service contracts multiple sources of teleoperated vehicles for testing in a non-radioactive environment testbed which simulates the primary features of the tanks. Tests will include ar a minimum: (1) remote deployment through a constrained opening, (2) teleoperated navigation in various waste surrogates, (3) simulated waste heel dislodging and waste retrieval (utilizing ORNL-supplied waste dislodging and removal equipment to be mounted on the vehicles), (4) other decontamination functions such as removal of contaminated concrete and metallic objects from the tanks, and (5) retrieval of the vehicle under normal and failure conditions. It is assumed that the mobile vehicle system will include a manipulator or alternative payload positioning capability and remote viewing capabilities to allow remote operation using the control system and remote operator station to be supplied with the vehicle. Interfaces between the ORNL-supplied waste dislodging and removal equipment and the vehicle will be defined as well as the general waste surface conditions for this test program. The service contracts will include operations and maintenance support. Mobile vehicle systems considered for follow-on procurement for use in the field demonstration of gunite tank remediation will be limited to those included in this non-radioactive environment test program. The follow-on procurement may also include field operations and maintenance services. (075)

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