Measuring waste bed liquor levels

Sellafield Ltd would like to explore techniques and technology which may be used to measure the liquor level within sludge beds inside waste storage silos. Approaches that either measure the water level directly or infer the water level via alternative methods of measurement are of interest. In-situ and ex-situ solutions to this challenge are invited.

The Magnox Swarf Storage Silo (MSSS) Original Building (OB) has six compartments containing corroded sludge consisting mainly of magnesium hydroxide, uranium and uranium oxide. The compartments are regularly topped up with water to keep the sludge under a head of liquor. It is important to be able to measure liquor levels within the waste bed to understand the pressures being applied to the walls of the MSSS OB. The essence of this challenge is to find a method of measuring the liquor level within a waste bed that has been allowed to drain naturally.

CHALLENGE AIMS

Sellafield Ltd needs to ascertain where the liquor level sits within a waste bed of sludge that is being stored under a damp/dry storage regime. This is analogous to measuring the level of groundwater in clay or soil.

If there were large differential liquor levels between the six compartments in the MSSS OB, an imbalance of loading would be created on the internal walls due to different hydrostatic pressures on either side of the wall. The capability to confidently measure the liquor levels within the waste bed would allow mitigating action to be taken to ensure that the structural integrity of the internal walls is not exceeded.

Sellafield Ltd are open to approaches that either measure the water level directly or infer the water level via other methods of measurement. Measurement of the pressure being exerted on the walls that does not provide measurement of the liquor level in the waste bed would not be discounted but would only partially satisfy the requirements of this challenge.

Any solutions to this challenge deployed within the storage compartments of the MSSS OB would need to be radiation tolerant as the compartments contain Intermediate Level Waste (ILW). Sellafield Ltd are open to both in-situ and ex-situ solutions to this challenge.

Sellafield Ltd are seeking solutions that can reach the end of the Game Changers Proof of Concept project phase by the middle of 2025. At this point, it is expected that a design scheme would be available with the technology ready for active deployment.

FIND OUT MORE

Please download the challenge statement for full details of this opportunity.

You can watch a webinar and Q&A session with the challenge owners for more information and details of how to apply.

The deadline for applications for this challenge is 4pm on Wednesday 27th March 2024.