Y-12 Blog
Guided wave ultrasonic testing involves wrapping an ultrasonic, low-frequency transducer ring around a pipe and sending a pulse 100 feet in both directions to test for pipe obstructions and pipe-wall thickness.
A project to deliver a new technology for assessing Y-12 fire suppression systems is on track for completion in 2021. Five employees qualified with the equipment earlier this year, and the technology is now in the proof-of-concept phase.
The project involves using a nondestructive tool—guided wave ultrasonic testing (GWUT)—to screen wet and dry fire suppression systems for blockages or corrosion. Use of nondestructive technology for assessment is important because many of the pipes in the fire suppression systems were installed about 70 years ago, and the current testing method Y-12 uses requires the removal of piping sections.
The 9-foot test rig completed by the metal fabrication shop for the training on guided wave ultrasonic testing.
“There is a risk in dealing with old pipe,” said Bobby Jenkins, Emergency Services Systems Operations manager, who initiated pursuing a nondestructive assessment method. “The nondestructive method is better in terms of risk and cost. We don’t need to disassemble pipe or take out sections unless we find something.”
Jenkins’ interest in nondestructive assessment led him to Steve Dekanich, a senior metallurgist in Quality Operations Support. “We needed a way to streamline the process and make it more efficient and cost effective,” Dekanich said.
He explained the GWUT method can test a 200 foot section of pipe at one time, whereas the existing method can only test a 10-foot section. GWUT involves wrapping an ultrasonic, low-frequency transducer collar around a pipe and sending a pulse 100 feet in both directions to test for pipe obstructions and pipe-wall thickness.
During proof-of-concept testing, the equipment will be placed in a central location where the researchers and newly qualified equipment operators will work on technical development using sample piping.
The Wavemaker G4 Mini from Guided Ultrasonics Ltd. connects to the transducer rings and collects guided wave ultrasonic testing data for further analysis.
“This new method is a lower-cost activity. We can cover a lot more area with new equipment. This method is smarter, more efficient,” Jenkins said. Y-12 maintains nearly 300 sprinkler systems and performs 15 to 20 internal inspections each year at an annual cost of $200,000.
Both Dekanich and Project and training lead Aaron Bales see the GWUT method as having potential for implementation across the Nuclear Security Enterprise because of its efficiency and costs savings.
Most importantly, Jenkins said, “This tool provides assurance of reliability in the event the system needs to be used. It’s one less thing to worry about.”
The Process Support Facilities at the Uranium Processing Facility
The Uranium Processing Facility (UPF) Project at the Y-12 National Security Complex installed the last piece of siding for the Process Support Facilities (PSF) on Monday, April 12, marking a significant milestone for the UPF Project. The PSF is now fully enclosed, known in the construction industry as “in the dry”.
The PSF, one of seven UPF subprojects, began in 2019 and will be completed by 2025, for a total cost of $140M. The 24,000-square-foot structure was built to commercial standards and, once completed and fully operational, will support UPF operations as a storage area for chemicals, demineralized water, waste containers, and wastewater.
The PSF subproject includes the building’s construction and equipment installation, as well as a gas storage yard, which is being built east of the facility. The gas storage yard will house vaporizers, tanks, control valve stations, and supporting electrical equipment for UPF.
“Enclosing the Process Support Facilities is a major achievement for the project as we build our nation’s UPF,” said Dena Volovar, UPF Project Director. “This milestone was achieved by the hard work and long hours of many individuals working together throughout the pandemic to make it possible.”
Several members of the PSF team at the PSF "in the dry" ceremony on Monday, April 12.
Construction will now move to the interior of the building, as crews work on piping and supports, electrical installation, and mechanical equipment skids.
UPF supports the nation’s Uranium Mission Strategy, which ensures the long-term viability, safety, and security of enriched uranium capabilities in the United States. UPF will replace casting, special oxide production, and salvage and accountability capabilities from a World War II era building with a modern, more efficient, and safer facility for conducting highly enriched uranium processing operations at the Y-12 National Security Complex.
PSF Federal Project Director holding a UPF hard hat sticker to commemorate the milestone
The interior of the Process Support Facilities
Members of the Region 2 Radiological Assistance Program preparing to mobilize at Super Bowl 55 in Tampa. From left, front row: Bill Riley, Steve Johnson, Jeff Barroso, and back row, Steve Cleveland, Jeff Bruner, Perry Pruitt, and Michael Murray. Team member Dale Perkins is not pictured.
When the world is watching, and you’re working security at high-profile events during a pandemic, standard safety protocols aren’t enough. For team members of the Region 2 Radiological Assistance Program (RAP), attending the Presidential Inauguration in Washington, D.C., and Super Bowl 55 in Tampa, Florida, involved total focus to the mission and enhanced COVID-19 protocols.
RAP teams are located regionally across the country and are the nation’s first-response resource in assessing an emergency and advising decision-makers on the hazards of a radiological incident. Region 2 is managed out of the Y-12 National Security Complex and is comprised of volunteer responders from Y-12, the National Nuclear Security Administration, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
On Jan. 26, Region 2 RAP members were in our nation’s capital supporting security surrounding President Joe Biden’s inauguration. Y-12’s Rich Utrera and three ORNL volunteers were there conducting preventive radiological nuclear detection (PRND) support.
”With COVID-19 and heightened security concerns around the Capitol building, we stayed in the background for the most part,” said Utrera. “We did our jobs, but kept away from the public as much as possible, keeping all us safe.”
Jeff Barroso, Y-12 Emergency Services and RAP 2 operations manager, said COVID-19’s impact may have reduced the size of the crowds attending both events, but it didn’t diminish the need for security.
At the Super Bowl for instance, organizers limited attendance to approximately 24,000, well below the stadium’s capacity. The Kansas City Chiefs (the visiting team) didn’t arrive in Tampa until the day before the game. The Super Bowl Experience, an opportunity for fans to see current and past NFL players, was scaled back.
“In spite of the changes, the Super Bowl remained one of the most-watched events of the year,” said Barroso. “With that level of exposure, all security-related preparations remained at a very high level, and RAP was expected to safely execute their mission to the effort.” In total, eight Region 2 RAP members supported the PRND operations for Super Bowl.
In both cities, RAP members followed the standard pandemic safety protocols - masks, daily temperature checks, and social distancing - but enhanced elements were also added. RAP members had to test negative for COVID-19 before being allowed to make the trip. Vehicle occupancy was limited to two members per vehicle, with the passenger sitting in the back seat.
“These enhanced controls allowed RAP to minimize the team’s exposure to COVID-19, while conducting our important duties,” said Barroso.
It was January 17, a date neither Y-12 machinist Matthew Pickens nor his family will soon forget. They had set off along Highway 321 toward Friendsville when he noticed a Jeep moving erratically in front of him. Pickens wasn’t quite sure what was happening, but whatever it was, it didn’t look good, or safe. The Jeep swerved from the road to the shoulder then swerved back into the lane and back to the shoulder again, finally coming to a stop.
“As I passed in the left lane, I looked over and noticed the driver slumped over in the seat,” said Pickens. I asked my wife, “I wonder if they need help?” He started to just drive by, but said he felt in his spirit that he should stop. So he turned around.
He parked his car and walked toward the Jeep. That’s when a woman in the passenger seat opened her door calling for help. Her husband had passed out. Matthew quickly checked and found the driver was not breathing but had a faint pulse. He and his wife got the man out of the Jeep, and Pickens immediately started CPR. He continued until the police and EMTs arrived.
The following Sunday as Pickens walked into church, his phone rang. It was an unknown number, which he normally ignores, but something told him to answer this call. He’s glad he did. On the other end of the line was the man he had helped. The man was still in the hospital but recovering.
“He told me the hospital said my quick response saved his life,” smiled Pickens. “It was amazing hearing his voice since the week before we couldn’t even hear his breath.” Pickens’ quick actions and knowledge of CPR, training he and his wife received at church many years ago, made the difference. He said after all these years, it was good to know he still knew what to do. Despite that, he plans to get a refresher. And he hopes others will too, as you never know when it might be needed.
“I hope from this story people will always look to help others,” Pickens said.
Meet Kadee Klimowicz, who worked at Y-12 while waiting on her training in the Space Operations field at Vandenberg Air Force Base to begin.
Kadee Klimowicz, a recent University of Tennessee graduate with a degree in civil engineering and second lieutenant in the Air Force, was selected to join the Space Operations field at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. While her training was in hold because of COVID-19, she worked with Consolidated Nuclear Security in Global Security and Strategic Partnerships (GSSP), a program that supports both Y-12 and Pantex.
Like many of us, Klimowicz wasn’t sure how to react when the pandemic caused a wrinkle in her career plans. “I have been waiting to start that training since I graduated, but the delay threw me for a loop! I was happy to have this opportunity until my training began,” Klimowicz said.
She explained that her training for a space operations officer includes a 7-month course, Officer Undergraduate Space Training, where she will learn technicalities involving orbital mechanics, space surveillance, and space lift. “It’s where officers get to collaborate with civilian contractors, like SpaceX,” Klimowicz said.
“I am extremely proud to call Y-12 the starting point in my career,” she said. “As I progress in the Space Operations field, my goal is to help develop more efficient technologies that allow us to continue our exploration of the last frontier but lessen our waste, starting from Earth and into our stratosphere.”
This engineer and self proclaimed “huge space nerd” is no stranger to Y-12 as her stepdad has worked in Y-12 Emergency Services for more than 10 years, but the site “has always been fascinating, yet mysterious” she said. Klimowicz is also gaining perspective from working with GSSP director Eva Irwin.
“Eva has mentored me and opened my eyes to the amount of science exploration and global innovation that has happened and continues to happen at Y-12. I have learned about the importance of secure agreements and mechanisms that continue to make those global innovations happen, and I hope to learn more about the engineering behind the projects that continue to change the world,” she said.