Remediating the INEL`s buried mixed waste tanks

The Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL), formerly the National Reactor Testing Station (NRTS), encompasses 890 square miles and is located in southeast Idaho. In 1949, the United States Atomic Energy Commission, now the Department of Energy (DOE), established the NRTS as a site for the building and testing of nuclear facilities. Wastes generated during the building and testing of these nuclear facilities were disposed within the boundaries of the site. These mixed wastes, containing radionuclides and hazardous materials, were often stored in underground tanks for future disposal. The INEL has 11 buried mixed waste storage tanks regulated under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) ranging in size from 400 to 50,000 gallons. These tanks are constructed of either stainless or carbon steel and are located at 3 distinct geographic locations across the INEL. These tanks have been grouped based on their similarities in an effort to save money and decrease the time required to complete the necessary remediation. Environmental Restoration and Technology Development personnel are teaming in an effort to address the remediation problem systematically

Molecular dynamics simulation of classical thermosize effects

We present the first molecular dynamics simulations of classical thermosize effects for realistic molecular conditions and flows. The classical thermosize effect is the chemical potential difference induced between two different-sized channels that have different fluid transport processes. It can be generated by applying a temperature gradient within the different-sized domains, and in this article the system investigated is a combination of a microchannel and a nanochannel. Our molecular dynamics results are compared with a theoretical calculation of the induced chemical potential difference, and this yields useful new insight into diffusive transport in nonequilibrium gas flows