Minutes of the Tank Waste Science Panel meeting, June 26-27, 1990

Abstract

Members of the Thnk Waste Science Panel met June 26-27, 1990, to discuss physical and chemical processes that could be responsible for episodic gas release events in tank 241-101-SY (commonly denoted tank 101-SY). Historical information regarding safety issues of tank 101-SY was presented along with existing technical information. Science Panel members agreed that the temperature profile just prior to a gas release suggests that either the high solids content or the density in the bottom layer of waste tends to trap gases generated in this layer until buoyancy forces cause the gas to begin moving. The crust is thought to provide only minimal resistance for the passage of the gas released from the bottom of the tank. Insufficient data were available to endorse any suggested mechanism for chemical evolution of H 2 in the tank. Science Panel members made numerous recommendations for monitoring the tank, sampling gases in the tank vent, taking core samples, and performing analyses. They also recommended performance of experiments to develop a fundamental understanding of the chemical processes involved and to determine the source of the H 2 and N 2 0 gases.