#161 - Debate over Burial of Radioactive Waste near Lake Huron

The town of Kincardine and some surrounding communities in Ontario Canada have provided their support to a proposal to bury radioactive waste in an area near Lake Huron.

The waste is classified as "low-level" and is comprised of ashes from incinerated mop heads, paper towels, floor sweepings, and other debris. It would also include "intermediate waste" such as discarded parts from the reactor core. Most of the waste would decay within 300 years, but some of the intermediate waste would stay radioactive for more than 100,000 years.

This Nov. 1, 2013 photo shows rows of chambers
holding intermediate-level radioactive waste in shallow pits
at the Bruce Power nuclear complex near Kincardine, Ontario.
(Caption from CTV News website - AP Photo/John Flesher)

According to the proposed scheme, the waste would be placed in impermeable chambers drilled into sturdy limestone 2,230 feet below the surface, topped with a shale layer more than 600 feet thick.

The strongest opposition to the scheme seems to be over the fact that the storage chambers are less than 1 mile (1.6km) from Lake Huron, a source of drinking water for many US and Canadian communities. The lake's maximum depth in the vicinity of the nuclear site is about 590 feet. Opponents have contended that seeping groundwater would fill the chamber in a short time, become contaminated, and eventually reach the lake through tiny cracks in the rock. However, the radioactive material in question has been stored above-ground since the late 1960's and needs a permanent resting place.

Many individuals and communities have a knee-jerk reaction to nuclear power which is sometimes based on misinformation. Existing energy sources such as the oil and coal industries no doubt have something to gain from suppressing the development of nuclear technology. However, not all aspects of nuclear energy production are as bad as many people perceive them to be.

See - 
http://nextbigfuture.com/2013/11/carnival-of-nuclear-energy-184.html
http://www.hiroshimasyndrome.com/radiation-the-no-safe-level-myth.html
http://www.hiroshimasyndrome.com/environmentalists-for-nuclear-energy.html

From the Chem.info website - http://www.chem.info/news/2013/11/nuclear-waste-burial-debate-rages-along-lake-huron#.UpihQ8RDvG5

Also: http://kitchener.ctvnews.ca/kincardine-residents-back-plan-to-bury-nuclear-waste-near-lake-huron-1.1561064#ixzz2m2dph3s3

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#160 - Improving the Safety of Hydrogen Analysis - Nova Model 436 for Generator Monitoring

Many large power generators use hydrogen gas as a coolant. Hydrogen has low density and very good thermal conductivity. It can carry away the heat produced in a generator and thus allow the generator to operate at a higher power output.

The Nova Model 436 is an excellent choice for continuous monitoring of the hydrogen atmosphere in a generator. It offers the following analysis ranges:

Range 1: 0-100% Hydrogen in Air

Range 2: 0-100% Hydrogen in CO2

Range 3: 0-100% Air in CO2

This model is similar to the portable Model 380 mentioned in this post. When a generator shutdown is scheduled, it is recommended that the continuous analyzer is used to monitor the purge process, while a portable analyzer is also connected and used as a back-up monitor.

We have been asked recently by some power companies to consider offering an additional interesting feature to the Nova Model 436.

In some cases, an unsafe condition has developed when the continuous H2 purity analyzer has been accidentally switched to the wrong range and left to operate that way. The analyzer will now be looking for an incorrect combination of gases and will not report a reliable result. Because H2 purity is an important parameter to monitor during normal generator operation, the analyzer should remain set to the correct range for reliable results.

Would this feature be of interest to you? 

To ensure that the purity range is activated at all times during normal generator operation, an explosion-proof lock-enabled switch can be provided. The purity range would be always locked on, and only a key could disable it and enable the purge ranges. The key would stay in the slot during purge, and only be removable when the purity range is selected again. Perhaps the key would be kept in the supervisor’s office when not in use.

If this is of interest to you, contact Nova for details.

1-800-295-3771

sales at nova-gas dot com

websales at nova-gas dot com

http://www.nova-gas.com/

https://twitter.com/NOVAGAS

http://www.linkedin.com/company/nova-analytical-systems-inc-

http://www.tenovagroup.com/

#157 - Musk: "3 fires, with no serious injuries, received more headlines than 250,000+ gasoline fires"

Interesting article on the treehugger.com website with some decent perspective on the recent Tesla car fires.

http://www.treehugger.com/cars/elon-musk-3-model-s-fires-no-serious-injuries-or-deaths-received-more-national-headlines-all-250000-gasoline-fires-combined.html

We were talking about these cars in a recent blog post because we had one parked outside of our facility the other day.

Besides the many car fires, it seems like there is an accident, fire, or spill with petroleum products somewhere in the news every day. The extraction, refining, transport, and combustion of fossil fuels is without a doubt prone to incidents. How this record will compare to automotive battery technology in the future remains to be seen. But it is hard to imagine that the Tesla will seriously pose even a minor danger compared to the activities of big oil.

Elon Musk's comments in the title allude to that realistic comparison despite the media attention suggesting the opposite.

Oil fire picture - AP / Diario EL Amanecer from http://www.ctvnews.ca/world/deadly-venezuela-oil-refinery-blast-expected-to-impact-gas-prices-1.929521

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#156 - Nova Analyzers from the Field – Episode 2

We noticed this portable Nova analyzer on the equipment list of a metallurgical lab at the University of Laval in Quebec, Canada. It looks like this facility within the university is focused on aluminum production research.

The analyzer model is probably Nova 335L. The Model 335 analyzers usually use thermal conductivity technology to measure hydrogen in a binary gas mixture such as H2 in air or H2 in nitrogen. However, the 335L signifies ‘low range’ and refers to trace H2 measurement at ppm levels. The description on the University’s list indicates that the range of this particular unit is 0-2000ppm H2.

Nova’s low range H2 instruments use an electrochemical type sensor instead of a thermal-conductivity detector. A thermal-conductivity based analyzer does not have the sensitivity to measure gases in the ppm range. This is makes sense; we wouldn't expect a few ppm of a constituent gas to significantly change the overall thermal-conductivity of a gas mixture.

We can assume that the typical gas sample at Laval’s aluminum lab contains little or no O2. How do we know this?

From the photo, you will note that this analyzer has two flow meters and an air flow control adjustment on the front panel. One characteristic of many electrochemical sensors is that they require the presence of a small amount of oxygen to function properly. If a gas sample does not have at least a small amount of O2 in it, the signal output of the cell will begin to taper off as the diffusion layer at the sensor inlet is depleted of residual O2. To maintain a good electrochemical response to the target gas, a small amount of O2 needs to be metered in also. The flow control and the second flow meter are used for this purpose.

The Model 335L doesn’t appear to be visible on the Nova website. So if you have a requirement for analysis of ppm H2, contact us with your inquiry. We can help determine if the Nova Model 335L is suitable for your application.

Episode 1 - old portable flue gas with dual CO channel

For information on Nova gas analyzer systems, give Mike or Dave at Nova a call, or send us an e-mail.

1-800-295-3771

sales at nova-gas dot com

websales at nova-gas dot com

http://www.nova-gas.com/

https://twitter.com/NOVAGAS

http://www.linkedin.com/company/nova-analytical-systems-inc-

http://www.tenovagroup.com/

University of Laval website:

http://www2.ulaval.ca/en/home.html

Industrial Research Chair NSERC/Alcoa on Advanced Modeling of Electrolytic Cells and Energy Efficiency (MACE3)

http://www2.ulaval.ca/en/research/research-groups-and-chairs/research-and-innovation-chairs/industrial-research-chairs.html

Equipment List

http://mace3.fsg.ulaval.ca/en/recherche/equipements/

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#155 - Chem.info update on CO Poisoning in Colorado Mine

The Chem.info website quotes an Associated Press update on the incident involving the recent mining deaths in Colorado, USA. Two miners who died of carbon monoxide poisoning apparently entered an area of the mine where an explosive had been previously detonated, federal investigators said Monday.

Carbon monoxide (CO) is odorless, colorless, and toxic. In a mine it can come from combustion engines and explosives. It can accumulate in an area of a mine at high enough levels to cause injury and death.

Miners have air packs to supply them with oxygen during an emergency. However, it is not certain if the miners had any means of detecting elevated levels of carbon monoxide in that area of the mine.

No doubt the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration is continuing to investigate the unfortunate deaths.

Additional information on gas monitoring & analysis applications in mines:

http://nova-gas.blogspot.ca/2013/07/133-breathing-air-in-mine-shafts-part-1.html

http://nova-gas.blogspot.ca/2013/07/134-breathing-air-in-mine-shafts-part-2.html

http://nova-gas.blogspot.ca/2013/08/136-coal-mine-gas-analysis-applications.html

http://nova-gas.blogspot.ca/2013/08/139-coal-mine-gas-analysis-applications.html

Chem.info article:

http://www.chem.info/news/2013/11/update-co-mining-accident?et_cid=3608718&et_rid=43997774&type=headline#.UouvYsTWQtA

#152 - Tesla Parked at Nova Offices

We noticed a Tesla parked outside our offices recently. This was just a few days after news of a Tesla car fire was making the rounds in the USA.

The driver in the news story apparently ran over a trailer hitch and punctured the protective casing around the battery. The car’s dashboard display gave him a couple of text warnings. The driver’s comments were as follows:

About 30-45 seconds later, there was a warning on the dashboard display saying, 'Car needs service. Car may not restart.' I continued to drive, hoping to get home. About one minute later, the message on the dashboard display read, 'Please pull over safely. Car is shutting down.'

Shortly after the driver exited the car, the fire started. An CNet account of the incident can found here. 

This is apparently the third Tesla car fire. No doubt, some people will begin questioning the safety of this type of car. But it will be a long time before any direct co-relation can be made. Especially when U.S. fire departments respond to an estimated average of 152,300 automobile fires per year. Clearly there can be safety concerns with vehicles powered by combustible fuels such as gasoline and diesel. Because the Tesla is a new car bearing a newer concept, it will have to withstand scrutiny from critical audiences for some time.

However, the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration gave the Tesla a 5-star safety rating. The driver mentioned above is convinced that the design of the Tesla may have saved him from serious injury. He says he would not hesitate to buy another Tesla.

http://www.nfpa.org/safety-information/for-consumers/vehicles

Car fire pic credit: tommolog/TeslaMotorsClub Screenshot by Chris Matyszczyk/CNET

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#150 - Testing Rare-Earth Element Extraction in Jamaica

During a post-holiday euphoria a couple years ago, I did a post on some of the analysis applications that we have had in the Caribbean areas. One such application involved the Noranda Bauxite Mine in St. Anne, Jamaica.

I just returned from another holiday in Jamaica and our trip to the resort took us past this facility once again. The driver of the coach explained that the mine itself is set back from the highway. The extracted ore is crushed and then conveyed to the large circular dome structure near the coast which stores and dries it. When a ship arrives at the docks in St. Anne, the crushed ore is transferred to the dock facilities by means of a conveyor system that extends under the highway and up into the ship loader. (see pictures)

The mine itself is not actually visible from the highway because of its higher elevation.
Jamaica is surprisingly mountainous and the mine is located up in these regions.
Coastal roads, towns, and many resorts are obviously located down closer to sea level.

Much of the Noranda bauxite is shipped to their alumina processing facility in Gramercy, Louisiana, USA. However, a recent initiative has emerged in Kingston Jamaica to test the feasibility of extracting rare-earth elements from the waste of the bauxite mine in St. Anne.

Jamaica's energy minister, Hon. Phillip Paulwell, has opened a pilot plant where researchers will conduct this testing. The work is in cooperation with Nippon Light Metal Co. Ltd. of Japan, which holds a patent for a type of technology that extracts rare-earth elements from red bauxite residue. Rare-earth elements are key ingredients for high-tech products like smartphones and computers.

Regarding mining and ore processing:

Tenova Takraf produces ore processing and handling equipment similar to what is installed at the Noranda site. Takraf has also been responsible for some of the largest port and ship-loading equipment ever built.

Tenova has also recently acquired Bateman with expertise in rare earth processing.

Aerial photo from Google Earth.
Jamaican rare-earth testing news from the Chem-info website.
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