Executive Summary This report describes the Phase I testing program of the Hanford Waste End Effector (HWEE) at the Washington River Protection Solutions Cold Test Facility. Phase I development testing of the HWEE addressed the informational needs defined in RPP- PLAN-61227 (Wooley 2016) for initial assessment of the HWEE to support Hanford single-shell tank A-105 retrieval. Note that the application of the HWEE concept has since been expanded beyond the original focus on one particular tank to

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... potentially address any leaking tanks. The tests were conducted by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory using a robotic positioning system, high-pressure pump, and instrumentation. The tests involved retrieval of wet sludge, hardpan/dried sludge, and hard crust simulants that were prepared as recommended in PNNL-26206 (Gauglitz et al. 2017). This report will first describe the test equipment, instrumentation, simulant preparation procedures, and testing methodology. Testing results that will be presented include HWEE water usage versus operating pressure, simulant characterization data, dilution ratios, and retrieval rates. Aerosol generation, reaction forces, and other factors that would affect the remote operation of the HWEE will also be presented. K-Mag 1 st layer 0.1 NA 0.58 NA Compared to previous results of confined sluicing end effectors provided in Hatchell et al (2016) , retrieval of kaolin was higher (14.7 gpm for the HWEE versus 7 gpm previously reported) and retrieval of kaolin/plaster was comparable (12.2 gpm for the HWEE versus 8.9-14.0 gpm). The HWEE was clearly enhanced by the refinements in the screen, skirt, and conveyance inlet, which included the addition of a iii fan-jet flush port. The flush port allowed the HWEE's screen to be cleared during retrieval, which greatly improved the efficiency of retrieval operations compared to prior demonstrations where an inefficient back-flush process was used. The enhanced skirt allowed the HWEE to confine the slurry and aerosol over changing topography. Applying the success criteria of the HWEE Phase I Test effort, in comparison with existing retrieval systems used at Hanford, the Phase I Test was deemed successful.  Demonstrate an end effector with minimal in-tank water usage that can be used in a leaking tank Success for 2/3 simulants. Water used by the HWEE was 4 gpm during retrieval of kaolin and kaolin/plaster and 10 gpm during retrieval of K-Mag (which used much higher pressure waterjets). Water remaining in the simulant tank was less than 1 inch after kaolin and kaolin/plaster retrieval. The water was well contained by the skirt at the point of origin and further confined to the troughs that were cut in the simulant. During K-Mag retrieval, which used much higher pressure waterjets, the water was not confined by the retrieval troughs and very little water was contained by the HWEE skirt.  Demonstrate potentially higher retrieval effectiveness with lower dilution Success. Testing was previously conducted with the MARS-V system using three waste simulants (Shields 2011). Simulant 1M had the highest reported retrieval rate at approximately 4.3 gpm with a dilution ratio of 0.05. Note that Simulant 1M is described as pumpable in the MARS-V test report. The kaolin, which was overall retrieved at a higher 4.9 gpm and with a higher dilution ratio of 0.3 using a conservative mining approach, would not be considered "pumpable" by conventional means.  Demonstrate an end effector that can be deployed using existing systems Success. The size (12.7 inch diameter) and weight (86 lbs) of the HWEE could allow it to be deployed by a lightweight deployment platform, such as the Enhanced Reach Sluicing System, through a small riser.  Demonstrate visibility in tank is not impacted by aerosol generation from the end effector Success. Aerosol generation by the HWEE was low during retrieval of kaolin and kaolin/plaster and moderate during retrieval of K-Mag when the standoff distance was maintained at ¼ inch. This positive result shows the impact of the HWEE skirt design. iv