TECHNOLOGY DEMONSTRATIONS OF ROTO-ROOTER PLUMBERS FOR UNPLUGGING PIPELINES AT THE FIU-HCET TEST SITE Plugging Prevention and Unplugging of Waste Transfer Pipelines

TECHNOLOGY DEMONSTRATIONS OF ROTOROOTER PLUMBERS FOR UNPLUGGING PIPELINES AT THE FIU-HCET TEST SITE Plugging Prevention and Unplugging of Waste Transfer Pipelines Principal Investigator: M A Ebadian, Ph.D Collaborators: Y Sukegawa M Allen R Silva P.V Skudarnov, Ph.D C.X Lin, Ph.D Florida International University Hemispheric Center for Environmental Technology Prepared for: HCET-1998-M004-006-29 U.S Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management Office of Science and Technology DISCLAIMER This report was prepared as an account of work sponsored by an agency of the United States government Neither the United States government nor any agency thereof, nor any of their employees, nor any of its contractors, subcontractors, nor their employees makes any warranty, express or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed, or represents that its use would not infringe upon privately owned rights Reference herein to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States government or any agency thereof The views and opinions of authors expressed herein not necessarily state or reflect those of the United States government or any agency thereof TECHNOLOGY DEMONSTRATIONS OF ROTO-ROOTER PLUMBERS FOR UNPLUGGING PIPELINES AT THE FIU-HCET TEST SITE Principal Investigator M A Ebadian, Ph.D Hemispheric Center for Environmental Technology Florida International University Miami, FL 33174 Florida International University Collaborators Y Sukegawa, M Allen, R Silva, P V Skudarnov, Ph.D., and C X Lin, Ph.D Hemispheric Center for Environmental Technology Florida International University Miami, FL 33174 May 2001 Prepared for U.S Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management Office of Science and Technology Under Grant No.: DE-FG26-00NT40806 HCET-1998-M004-006-29 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The results presented in this report were obtained from work supported by the U.S Department of Energy (DOE), Environmental Management (EM), Office of Science and Technology (OST) under Grant No DE-FG21-95EW55094 The Principal Investigator and the associate researchers at the Hemispheric Center for Environmental Technology would like to thank Peter W Gibbons, manager of Retrieval Technology Integration, DOE Tanks Focus Area (TFA), for his guidance and suggestions The authors are also grateful for the useful discussions with Dr Fadel F Erian and Mr Michael Rinker at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) We would especially like to thank the DOE-OST for their support and encouragement throughout this research i HCET-1998-M004-006-29 TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY iv 1.0 INTRODUCTION 2.0 TASK DESCRIPTION 3.0 TECHNOLOGY DEMONSTRATION DETAILS .9 APPENDIX A APPENDIX B iii HCET-1998-M004-006-29 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY U.S Department of Energy (DOE) sites, such as Hanford and the Savannah River Site (SRS), need safe and efficient technologies for tank farm operations that include waste retrieval and transport of slurry waste through pipelines As the waste tank cleanup gathers momentum, there is an increased potential for the waste transfer lines to become plugged Plugged pipelines represent a considerable hazard and loss of time and money In order to meet the DOE site need for waste transfer pipeline unplugging technologies, Florida International University’s Hemispheric Center for Environmental Technology (FIU-HCET) was contracted to identify and evaluate technologies for pipeline blockage locating, reaching, and dislodging using technology demonstrations on full-scale test beds During FY00, Roto-Rooter Plumbers, Inc (Roto-Rooter) was selected by FIU-HCET from the technology database collected by FIU-HCET, and Roto-Rooter was awarded a contract for a technology demonstration in collaboration with DOE-TFA and FIU-HCET Roto-Rooter demonstrated their high-pressure water jet (Harben Jet) technology and Ridgid Snake technology Following demonstration results were reported: Harben Jet  Harben Jet achieved 100% efficiency in unplugging bentonite-sand (30wt%/30wt%) blockage, and 11% in unplugging epoxy-sand (40wt%/60wt%) blockage  2-in pipeline was accessed on Test Bed #1 instead of 1-in pipeline  The technology requires short mobilization and demobilization time  It is commercially available  Water is not contained or recycled with high water usage Ridgid Snake  Ridgid Snake achieved 22% efficiency in unplugging bentonite-sand (30wt%/30wt%) blockage, and 8% in unplugging epoxy-sand (40wt%/60wt%) blockage  2-in pipeline was accessed on Test Bed #1 since Ridgid Snake nozzle was not able to negotiate 1-in access pipe  The technology requires very short mobilization and demobilization time  It is commercially available  Reach is limited to 150 ft  It has limited effectiveness on both test beds This document presents results for pipeline unplugging technology demonstrations at FIUHCET The Test Assessment Site and the technology tested are described herein The results are presented in tabular format and contain pertinent technology demonstration statistics and information such as technology utility requirements and maturity of technology Demonstration iv HCET-1998-M004-006-29 statistics provide information about technology performance, such as mobilization and demobilization times, reaching time, tool recovery time, total unplugging time, effectiveness of the technology, plug composition and location, and number of elbows traversed v HCET-1998-M004-006-29 Technology Demonstrations of Roto-Rooter Plumbers for Unplugging Pipelines at the FIU-HCET Test Site 1.0 INTRODUCTION FIU-HCET has constructed three test beds to demonstrate and evaluate the capabilities for blockage reaching, unplugging, and detecting technologies in pipelines The three test beds were based on the Functions and Requirements provided by DOE sites They are representative of the actual pipelines at DOE sites, including SRS, Hanford, and Oak Ridge All demonstrations are conducted under standardized, non-radioactive conditions 2.0 TASK DESCRIPTION This section describes the test beds, the general placement of the plugs in the pipeline, the types of plugs, the technology used, and the key results from the demonstration 2.1 TECHNOLOGY DESCRIPTION 2.1.1 Water Jet (Harben Jet) Technology Description Roto-Rooter demonstrated two technologies at FIU-HCET’s test site for unplugging pipelines One of the technologies demonstrated was a high-pressure water jet technology manufactured by Harben, Inc The technology is trailer mounted and consists of a water tank and approximately 500 ft of high-pressure water hose (see Figure 1) A jet head or nozzle is attached to the end of the hose and acts as both the propulsion system and the cleaning method There are many choices of nozzles available for the operator Based on experience, the operator chooses which head is most appropriate for the job An operator may go though many different nozzles in order to find the best “compromise” for moving through and cleaning the pipeline The nozzles are made in different sizes and have different water jet orientations The nozzles have holes located in the rear and/or on the tip (facing forward) of the nozzle The rear-facing jets provide forward thrust and propel the hose though the pipeline The jets located at the tip of the nozzle are used to clean or blast away the obstruction in the pipeline Figure Harben Jet being inserted into Test Bed #2 HCET-1998-M004-006-29 Technology Demonstrations of Roto-Rooter Plumbers for Unplugging Pipelines at the FIU-HCET Test Site The Harben Jet equipment can produce up to 4,000 psi of water pressure while using up to 16 gpm The system was also equipped with Harben's jet pulsation system, which vibrates the water hose and nozzle to assist the system in making its way around obstacles such as elbows 2.1.2 Ridgid Snake Technology Description The Ridgid Snake technology consists of an approximately 150-ft-long semi-flexible steel rod with a cutting blade tip that is inserted inside the pipeline for cleaning blockages The snake is housed inside a rotating drum, which is used to feed and retract the snake from the pipeline (see Figure 2) Figure Rigid Snake technology being inserted into Test Bed #2 2.2 GENERAL PLUG INFORMATION Two blockages were tested on Test Bed #1 Both blockages tested on Test Bed #1 were 5-ft-long, epoxy-sand (40wt%/60wt%) mixtures that produce a hard, adherent coating on the inside surface of the pipe These plugs are only partial blockages and are hollow through their centers The blockages represent a hard buildup of material on the sidewall of the pipeline Another type of blockage was tested on test bed #2 It was 5-ft-long bentonite-sand-water mixture (30wt%/30wt %/40wt%) that produced a hard and bulky blockage A total of two, 5-ft-long, blockages were tested on test bed #2 The blockage location is shown for the Harben Jet demonstration in Figure and for the Ridgid Snake demonstration in Figure The percentage (by weight) of plug/scale removed is determined by weighing the plugs/pipe sections before and after the demonstrations A removal effectiveness of 100% would indicate the technology was completely successful in removing the plug Partial removal and/or dislodging of the plug will also be recorded as partially successful HCET-1998-M004-006-29 Technology Demonstrations of Roto-Rooter Plumbers for Unplugging Pipelines at the FIU-HCET Test Site 300 ft Access port poppport 10 ft ft Blockage 168 ft * Not totoscale Not scale Figure Diagram of blockage location for Harben Jet demonstration on Test Bed # Access port 100 ft ft Blockage 20 ft * Not to scale Figure Diagram of blockage location for ridgid Snake demonstration on Test Bed # scale HCET-1998-M004-006-29 Technology Demonstrations of Roto-Rooter Plumbers for Unplugging Pipelines at the FIU-HCET Test Site 3.0 TECHNOLOGY DEMONSTRATION DETAILS 3.1 HARBEN JET TECHNOLOGY Table shows the demonstration information and statistics for the Harben Jet technology performed by Roto-Rooter Harben Jet was capable of reaching approximately 500 ft into the pipeline The water pressure during the demonstration was 3900 psi with a water usage rate of 20 pgm The site mobilization time was 45 min., and the site demobilization time was 10 The tool was successfully removed at the end of the demonstration Table Demonstration Information and Statistics for Harben Jet Technology Test Bed Number Access Port Diameter Test Bed Test Bed 2 in in Epoxy/sand Bentonite/ sand/ water (40wt%/60wt%) (30wt%/30wt%/40wt%) Blockage Distance (ft from entry point) 15 483 Number of Elbows Traversed Reaching – Reaching Time (min.) N/A 46 Unplugging – Time to Unplug Only (min.) N/A N/A 13 Reaching – Distance Reached (ft) 15 483 Total Time for Unplugging (hrs.) 0.45 1.15 11 ~ 100 Blockage Composition Unplugging/Reaching – Recovery Time (min to remove tool) Unplugging – Effectiveness (% by mass of total blockage removed) The technology requires the operator to assist and guide the hose into the pipeline The hose is mostly self-propelled and requires continuous operator effort to aid the technology around obstacles and through the blockage Water is also expelled toward the open end of the pipe and toward the operator The results of the technology demonstration for Harben Jet are summarized in Table HCET-1998-M004-006-29 Technology Demonstrations of Roto-Rooter Plumbers for Unplugging Pipelines at the FIU-HCET Test Site Table Technology Summary for Harben Jet     Benefits Limitations intensive  Water is not contained or recycled  Water overflows toward the operator  High water usage  Limited effectiveness on Test Bed #1 On Test Bed #2, the second elbow was partially blocked by paint accumulation and impeded the progress of the nozzle The hose had to be manually guided around the elbow However, the system is expected to go around elbows without such aid because it successfully managed to go around the previous elbow The technology was able to gain access through the 1-in access port on Test Bed#1 but it was deemed ineffective, so the 2-in access port was used Data Sensitivities 3.2 Short mobilization and demobilization time Commercially available Relatively low cost Although technology is self-propelled, it’s still very labor RIDGID SNAKE TECHNOLOGY Table shows the demonstration information and statistics for Ridgid Snake Technology performed by Roto-Rooter Ridgid Snake was capable of reaching approximately 150 ft into the pipeline The estimated site mobilization time was min., and the estimated site demobilization time was The tool was successfully removed at the end of the demonstration Table Demonstration Information and Statistics for Ridgid Snake Test Bed Number Access Port Diameter Test Bed Test Bed 2 in in Epoxy/sand Bentonite/ sand /water (40wt%/60wt%) (30wt%/30wt%/40wt%) Blockage Distance (ft from entry point) 40 124 Number of Elbows Traversed Reaching – Distance Reached (ft) 40 124 Reaching – Reaching Time (min.) 16 Unplugging – Time to Unplug Only (min.) 24 0.55 0.53 22 Blockage Composition Unplugging/Reaching – Recovery Time (min to remove tool) Total Time for Unplugging (hrs.) Unplugging – Effectiveness (% by mass of total blockage removed) 10 HCET-1998-M004-006-29 Technology Demonstrations of Roto-Rooter Plumbers for Unplugging Pipelines at the FIU-HCET Test Site Technology requires an operator to assist and guide the snake into the pipeline The snake is mostly self-propelled and requires moderate to little operator effort to deploy The result of the technology demonstration for Ridgid Snake is summarized in Table Benefits Limitations Data Sensitivities Table Technology Summary for Ridgid Snake  Very short mobilization and demobilization time  Commercially available  Low cost  Self-propelled  Reach is limited to 150 ft  Limited effectiveness on both test beds  The hard composition of the plug in Test Bed#1 caused the snake to break  Due to its geometric configuration, the blades cannot remove all of the blockage on the 3-in pipe Technology was unable to gain access through the 1-in access port on Test Bed#1, so the 2-in access port was used One of the reasons that resulted in low unplugging efficiency is that the pipeline of Test Bed #1 consists of a 1-in access line that expands into 2-in pipeline The snake was able to dislodge the blockage on the inner surface of the 2-in pipeline wall However, the snake was not small enough to negotiate the complex geometry of the 1-in access pipe When the snake with a smaller blade was used, it was able to go through the 1-in access pipe, but it was not big enough to dislodge the blockage on the 2-in pipe wall Therefore, if the pipeline is to be unplugged with the use of a mechanical device, a snake that can be remotely operated with the capability to expand to the size of a larger pipeline would be effective 11 HCET-1998-M004-006-29 Technology Demonstrations of Roto-Rooter Plumbers for Unplugging Pipelines at the FIU-HCET Test Site APPENDIX A Test Bed #1: SRS Evaporator Gravity Drain (2-inch pipeline with 1-inch access pipe, plus lift line and jumper) This test bed design represents the typical gravity drain (GDL) pipeline, plus the lift line and connecting jumper as shown in Figure A1 The main purpose of this test bed is to test unplugging and reaching technology that can enter through 1-inch access pipe into 2-inch main pipeline and remove a hard deposit from the pipeline walls The SRS Evaporator Jumper was not attempted during this demonstration The test bed consists of 2-inch, Schedule 10, carbon steel piping, having an inside diameter of 2.2 in The test bed is 86 ft long, starting from the 1-in access port, and approximately 100 ft long starting from the 2-in access port The pipeline rests on elevated supports at an angle of 2.67 o with respect to the ground, which gives an elevation of ft over the 86-ft length as shown in Figure The elevation of the pipeline can be adjusted with Unistruts ® and angle fittings The lower end of the pipeline has a 1-in cleaning tool access pipe, with radius of curvature of 10 in., welded to the 2-in pipe This 1-inch access pipe has a 1-in gate valve at its midpoint The high end has a 5-ft vertical section of 2-inch diameter pipe attached to the pipeline by a 90 o elbow of 3-ft 6-in radius of curvature The schematic diagram of test bed #1 is provided in Figure A2 Figure A1 Test bed #1: gravity drain line Figure A2 Schematic diagram of test bed #1 Test Bed #2: Horizontal Long Pipeline (3-inch pipe, 1765 ft long) Test bed #2 was designed to demonstrate how far a technology could reach through a long pipeline with 90o turns On this test bed, unplugging technologies can also be tested for removing bulk clay-like blockages This test bed is constructed of a 3-in, Schedule 10, carbon steel pipe having an inside diameter of 3.25 in The access point is at 3-ft elevation from the ground with either a 3-in access pipe- or a Hanford connector as an interface The total length of the pipeline is 1765 ft with both left and right-turning 90o elbows (see Figure A3) Pipe joint elevation can be altered to trap water in a certain section of the pipeline if desired The schematic diagram of test bed #2 is shown in Figure A4 HCET-1998-M004-006-29 Figure A3: Test bed #2: horizontal long pipeline Technology Demonstrations of Roto-Rooter Plumbers for Unplugging Pipelines at the FIU-HCET Test Site Figure A4 Schematic drawing of test bed #2 HCET-1998-M004-006-29 Technology Demonstrations of Roto-Rooter Plumbers for Unplugging Pipelines at the FIU-HCET Test Site APPENDIX B  Harben Jet GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT TECHNOLOGY Technology Name High Pressure Water / Harben Jet Maturity of Technology  (Choose ONE of the following options)   Commercially available Prototype NEW: Utility Requirements for Technology Model Water source for refilling tank Portability Options    person needed to move from truck people needed to move from truck Forklift needed to remove from truck  Truck/trailer mounted (Select all that apply) MANUFACTURER INFORMATION Phone Number(s) Fax Number Website E-Mail Harben Inc P.O Box 2250 Cumming, GA 30028 (770) 889– 9535 (770) 887– 9411 www.harben.com Harbeninc@aol.com 800-327-5387 Services Available  Service provider (Select all that apply)  Sells technology model   Name and Address Rents technology model Will train site users, # hours : NA hours VENDOR INFORMATION Name and Address Phone Number(s) Fax Number Website Services Available (Select all that apply) Roto – Rooter Plumbers 7911 NW 72nd Avenue Suite 117 Miami, Florida 33166 (305) 885– 5861 - 800 - 438 - 7686 (305) 885– 5063  o Service provider Sells technology model   Rents technology model Will train site users, # hours : hours VENDOR SUPPLIED INFORMATION Required Personnel for Operation Technology Capital Cost for Each Unit Consumables and Cost for Each Unit Useful Life Expectancy State number of each required for basic operation of equipment: Equipment operators, _1 Technicians, _ $42,000 Nozzle - $500 Hose - $1,500 10 years NA HCET-1998-M004-006-29  Technology Demonstrations of Roto-Rooter Plumbers for Unplugging Pipelines at the FIU-HCET Test Site Ridgid Snake GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT TECHNOLOGY Technology Name Maturity of Technology (Choose ONE of the following options) Utility Requirements for Technology Model Portability Options Rigid Snake #9000    Commercially available Prototype NEW: Electricity: 120 V AC   person needed to move from truck people needed to move from truck MANUFACTURER INFORMATION Name and Address Phone Number(s) Fax Number Web-site Services Available (Select all that apply) Ridgid Tool Company 400 Clark St Elvira, OH (888)-743-4333 (800)-873-2160 www.ridgid.com  Service provider  Sells technology model   Rents technology model Will train site users, # hours : NA hours VENDOR INFORMATION Name and Address Phone Number(s) Fax Number Website Services Available (Select all that apply) Roto – Rooter Plumbers 7911 NW 72nd Avenue Suite 117 Miami, Florida 33166 (305) 885 – 5861 - 800 - 438 - 7686 (305) 885 – 5063  o   Service provider Sells technology model Rents technology model Will train site users, # hours : NA VENDOR SUPPLIED INFORMATION State number of each required for basic operation of equipment: Required Personnel for Operation Equipment operators, Technicians, _ Capital Cost for Each Unit Ridgid Snake - $3,150 Consumables and Cost for Each Unit Snake line - $150 Blades - $12 10 years 1-in, 2-in, 3-in, and/or 4-in Useful Life Expectancy Applicable Pipe Diameter B-2 ... necessarily state or reflect those of the United States government or any agency thereof TECHNOLOGY DEMONSTRATIONS OF ROTO-ROOTER PLUMBERS FOR UNPLUGGING PIPELINES AT THE FIU-HCET TEST SITE Principal... Demonstrations of Roto-Rooter Plumbers for Unplugging Pipelines at the FIU-HCET Test Site Ridgid Snake GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT TECHNOLOGY Technology Name Maturity of Technology (Choose ONE of the following... HCET-1998-M004-006-29 Technology Demonstrations of Roto-Rooter Plumbers for Unplugging Pipelines at the FIU-HCET Test Site 3.0 TECHNOLOGY DEMONSTRATION DETAILS 3.1 HARBEN JET TECHNOLOGY Table shows the demonstration