A Cost-Effective and Mobile Ultrahigh-Pressure Cryogenic System for Decontamination and Decommisioning

50359-98-I A Cost-Effective and Mobile Ultrahigh-Pressure Cryogenic System for Decontamination and Decommisioning--Waterjet Technology, Inc., 21414 68th Avenue South, Kent, WA 98032-2416; (253) 872-1925 Dr. Peter H. T. Liu, Principal Investigator Mr. David Lierman, Business Official DOE Grant No. DE-FG03-98ER82710 Amount: $74,925 Ultrahigh-pressure (UHP) cryogenic technology has emerged as one of the key candidates for facility decontamination and decommissioning (D&D) applications. For the technology to gain wide acceptance, considerable performance improvement is required in terms of cost effectiveness, design and operational simplicity, reliability, cutting and cleaning efficiency, mobility, optimum use of abrasives, and secondary-waste reduction. This project will develop a low-cost, high-performance, mobile UHP cryogenic jetting system built around a highly efficient and lightweight crankshaft pump at 40,000 psi or higher. Liquid nitrogen cryogenic jets, abrasive-cryogenic jets, and dry-ice-based vanishing abrasive-cryogenic jets will be optimized by adopting several proprietary nozzles for various D&D applications. Prototypes of the cryogenic jets will be developed for field deployment in Phase II. The 40,000-psi cryogenic crankshaft pump will be used as the main building block for designing a UHP cryogenic system to be assembled and tested in Phase I. Several proprietary nozzles will be adopted to improve the performance of the three types of cryogenic jets described above. Emphasis will be made to recycle abrasives to reduce abrasive consumption and therefore reduce secondary-waste generation. Commercial Applications and Other Benefits as described by the awardee: This multipurpose system designed for both hand-held and robotic operations will find many DOE, DoD, and industry D&D applications at sites where minimum added waste and/or maximum mobility are required. For facility D&D at large sites, cost effectiveness and material removal efficiency become of ultimate importance. At cryogenic temperatures, the system may be adapted for decommissioning of explosive contaminants. With precision robotic control, the system can be applied for aircraft depainting and for precision cutting and cleaning of electro-optical components._