Supporting innovative technology development at HCET by Michelle Marcos and Cynthia Jenney of HCET
	The Hemispheric Center for Environmental Technology was established by Florida International University and the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science and Technology to research, develop, and demonstrate innovative environmental technologies and to facilitate their transfer to commercial and DOE users. As a test bed for both industry and OST, HCET performs technology evaluations and demonstrations, principally for the decontamination and decommissioning focus area. HCET’s testing facilities provide DOE site managers and commercial vendors the opportunity to establish the viability of environmental technologies. For example, HCET evaluations prompted Pentek to modify its VAC-PAC technology to better decontaminate concrete surfaces; the modified system was demonstrated at Argonne National Laboratory’s CP-5 Reactor in Chicago in December 1996. HCET also introduced DOE to Concrete Cleaning, which demonstrated its Centrifugal Shot Blast technology at CP-5 last month. This vendor is now a recognized candidate for handling decontamination tasks at DOE nuclear facilities and is also scheduled to demonstrate at Fernald in 1998. To further facilitate technology transfer, HCET has forged partnerships with leading environmental technology vendors, such as 3M, LTC Americas, AEA O’Donnell, and with organizations such as the International Union of Operating Engineers. HCET also has significant ties to foreign vendors through FIU’s Latin American and Caribbean Center, which promotes advanced education and research in that area of the world. Connecting to Latin America through HCET To permit U.S. industry to benefit from FIU’s links to Latin America and the Caribbean, OST designated HCET as its principal technology transfer agent for the region. Thus, HCET’s vision is to become a model institute for bridging the transfer, commercialization, and implementation of environmental technologies that promote economic growth and well-being in the countries of the Western Hemisphere. On behalf of OST, the Morgantown Office of the Federal Energy Technology Center is currently providing technical support for these activities. Capitalizing on existing FIU infrastructure, HCET forms working partnerships with governments, universities, and industries throughout the Americas. For example, HCET facilitated the signing of a technical cooperation agreement between DOE and Argentina’s National Atomic Energy Commission on May 29, 1996. This agreement, the first of its kind executed between the United States and a Latin American country, provides a framework for the radioactive and mixed waste management and remediation activities that will be jointly undertaken by the two countries. The agreement will promote the cooperative development, implementation, and transfer of environmental technologies between the two nations and open new markets and opportunities for U.S. and Argentine environmental technology companies. According to M. A. Ebadian, director of HCET, "A crucial element of HCET’s activities is to provide assistance to Latin American and Caribbean nations for the resolution of their environmental problems. We believe that the increased exchange of ideas concerning the environmental problems of the region will encourage the development and commercialization of new technologies." In its role as a technology broker, HCET has performed a comprehensive analysis of the environmental technology market in Latin America and the Caribbean, including several in-depth surveys that identify country-specific technology needs and market potential. Much of this body of knowledge will be presented in November at X-Change ‘97, a symposium promoting the international exchange of D&D technologies. During this five-day event, key players in the global D&D market will have the opportunity to exchange technology, strengthen existing partnerships, and forge new alliances as they share their concerns and explore innovative and cost-effective solutions. Developing technologies at HCET In addition to technology evaluation and commercialization, HCET engages in its own innovative research. Notably, HCET laboratories are preparing to patent two novel in situ sensors for high-level tank waste: the Torsional Wave Sensor and the Oscillating Cylinder Viscometer. Each sensor is designed for the in situ measurement of the viscosity and density of waste found in storage tanks and transport systems throughout the DOE complex. Whereas conventional techniques require withdrawing samples for off-site analysis, these sensors can be immersed into a tank to relay data back to the on-site operator via wireless or wire communication devices. The design of the Torsional Wave Sensor is based on the retardation of the transmission of a torsional acoustic wave through a solid by the surface interaction of the transmitted wave with the viscous fluid in which the solid is immersed. The system measures the difference in transmission between two equivalent rods, one of which is immersed in the fluid to be tested. The rods are excited by the same pulse into the magnetostrictive transducers, but the wave will pass more slowly through the rod immersed in a viscous fluid, due to viscous drag. The difference in the times of flight through the two rods is measured to calculate the test fluid’s viscosity and density. Initial testing indicates that this sensor can accurately measure a wide range of viscosities. The concept of the Oscillating Cylinder Viscometer is based on the effect of a vibrating cylinder immersed in a test fluid. Vibrations are initiated by a solenoid or a similar electrical device. The amount of alternating current supplied to the solenoid provides, following proper calibration, a direct representation of the force applied to move the cylinder. A force balance on the moving cylinder results in an equation relating the forcing waveform to the displacement waveform, i.e., the dampening of vibrations by the viscous fluid. The ratio of amplitudes and the phase lag between the two are used to measure viscosity and density. The viscometer can measure a wide range of viscosities, and it features a robust design capable of withstanding the harsh environments anticipated for its application. Its advantages over existing methods include its simple principle of operation, the ability to assess the properties of non-Newtonian fluids, and its low unit cost as compared to commercially available remote sensors. HCET researchers are also developing two new technologies for the clear separation of vitreous slag from molten metal produced by the thermal processing of mixed waste streams at DOE sites. The Centrifugal Separation and Differential Centrifugal Separation technologies, both of which employ centrifugal force to separate glass and metal phases, will substantially improve the efficiency of differentiating slag waste and recyclable metal. These techniques not only minimize the risks involved with the handling and disposal of the vitrified matter, but also produce a higher-quality scrap metal for free release or reuse, thereby resulting in significant cost savings. These technologies, which are under consideration for patent application, can also be implemented in the slag/metal separation processes used in the metallurgic industry. For more information about HCET’s research and development capabilities and initiatives, visit the HCET Web site at http://www.hcet.fiu.edu, or contact M. A. Ebadian, Ph.D., Director of Hemispheric Center for Environmental Technology, Florida International University, University Park, Miami, FL 33199, (305) 348-3585, ebadian@eng.fiu.edu. HCET conducts the following OST-funded research: Decontamination and decommissioning focus area Metal decontamination technologies Concrete decontamination technologies Equipment dismantlement technologies Large-bore pipe decontamination Improved roof stabilization technologies Assessment of strippable coatings for decontamination and decommissioning Technology assessment for improved structural demolition and dust suppression Melting, solidification, remelting, and separation of glass and metals Microwave combustion and sintering without isostatic pressure Evaluation of concrete walls removal techniques Characterization, monitoring, and sensor technology crosscutting program Sensors for viscosity and shear strength measurement Plant stress analysis technology transfer Tanks focus area Rheological properties of defense waste slurries Improved waste slurry mixing and sampling systems Investigation of the waste glass pouring process in defense waste