DWPF glass air-lift pump life cycle testing and plant implementation

Due to the accelerated cleanup at the Savannah River Site (SRS), efforts are underway to increase the glass melt rate and hence the high level waste processing throughput at the SRS Defense Waste Processing Plant Facility (DWPF). One of the proposed process/equipment improvements is a glass air-lift pump. The use of a glass air-lift pump to increase melt rate in the DWPF Melter has been investigated via several techniques including lab scale testing on various melters. The final test before implementation in DWPF was a long-term life cycle test (several months in duration) on a full size pump. The air-lift pump was successfully tested and no major problems were found. Based on this test a unit was designed and fabricated for DWPF and was installed in the DWPF Melter in February 2004.