The IVG Nuclear waste hose

The recent Fukushima disaster has made us all reflect on the topic of nuclear power plants and especially on the importance of the safety inside.
Keeping safety in mind, a project of hose-in-hose transfer line was developed: studied by Columbia Energy & Environmental Services, Inc. and made in cooperation with IVG. This system is a safe, cost-effective and proven alternative to steel piping for the moving of the nuclear wastes.
Realized with rubber, hose-in-hose system has been used extensively on the Hanford tank farms and K Basins to successfully transport radioactive wastes and spent fuel pool sludge.
Hanford’s central is inactive from years, and the only activity which they lead inside is the management of the radioactive wastes that must be continuously moved from a tank to another until it is possible finding a standing solution.

Product Qualification.
This hose-in-hose product, born from the cooperation between Columbia Energy and IVG Colbachini SpA, was qualified through rigorous testing performed with its NQA-1 quality assurance program (2-inch hose inside of 4 inch hose). Columbia Energy also tests each lot of hose material, and all finished hose-in-hose assemblies, before delivery to ensure they will meet and exceed client performance requirements.
Testing of the hose-in-hose product is performed under the following conditions:
• Vacuum
• Destructive tensile load
• Temperature and pressure cycling
• Sustained high temperature and pressure
• Destructive burst testing
• Postulated accident scenarios. 

Advantages of the hose-in-hose product for nuclear applications. 
• Performance pre-verified by testing during manufacturing process
• Superior seismic properties
• Quicker to install and remove, minimizing worker exposure and reducing labor costs
• Internally expanded fittings allow full-flow and reduce material hold-up
• Continuous hose lengths of up to 380 feet
• Easy routing due to material flexibility
• Repeatability of fitting attachment
• Performance equivalent to ASME B31 piping
• Options to interface with client fittings (NPT, flange, Code 61, Chem-Joint, etc.)
• Compatible with radiological materials and hazardous chemicals (EPDM and EPR)
• Cheaper than steel pipe to procure, install, and maintain, especially for temporary installations
• Options for heat tracing available
• Superior erosion performance (TBD).