Flanges are a method of connecting pipes, valves, pumps, and other equipment to form a piping system, usually by welding or threading. It is also easy to clean, inspect or modify. Flanges are usually welded or tightened. Flange joints are made by bolting two flanges together and using washers between them to provide a seal.
Pipe assemblies may be bolted together between flanges. Flanges are used to connect pipes to each other, to valves, to fittings, and to special items such as filters and pressure vessels. Cover plates can be connected to create "blind flanges". Flanges are bolted together, and sealing is usually done using washers or other methods. Industries dealing with flammable, volatile, toxic or corrosive substances require special protection at flange joints. Flange shields can provide an additional level of protection to ensure safety.
There are many different flange standards worldwide. For simple functionality and interchangeability, these designs have standardized dimensions. Common world standards include ASA/ASME (USA), PN/DIN (Europe), BS10 (UK/Australia) and JIS/KS (Japan/Korea).
In most cases, standards are interchangeable, as most local standards have been aligned with ISO standards.
Flanges are also made in standardized sizes, usually in "flat", "convex", "mortise" or "ring joint" styles, but other ambiguous styles may be available.
Flange designs include "weld neck", "socket", "lap", "socket weld", "thread" and "blind flange".
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January 23, 2023—It’s been over a year since the Elios 3 drone embarked on what many believe to be an unprecedented mission: successfully 3D mapping a radioactive waste storage vault constructed in the 1960s. This achievement is pivotal for planning the safe removal of the waste stored within. The vault, located at the Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center at the Idaho National Laboratory Site in eastern Idaho, has now been mapped in detail, providing crucial insights for the next phase of the operation.
The actual flight inside the highly irradiated vault took place in late November 2022. Around 50 personnel were involved in preparing the environment for the drone's entry. They covered the top of the vault with a plastic tent to comply with FAA and DOE regulations, ensuring the mission remained indoors. A crane was used to carefully lift the vault’s lid and underlying hatch, allowing the drone access to the interior.
This mission was far from routine. If anything went wrong and the drone got lost, retrieval would have been nearly impossible due to the extreme radiation levels. However, the Elios 3 proved its reliability, completing a successful 7-minute flight that gathered all the necessary LiDAR data for creating a comprehensive 3D map of the vault. An expert from GeoSLAM was present to process the data immediately, ensuring the model met the stringent requirements of IEC.
Kevin Young, Principal Electrical Engineer at IEC, expressed his satisfaction with the results: “Despite the high radiation levels, the Elios 3 collected all the data we needed. This achievement is critical for moving forward with the project safely. It was a massive success.â€
For the past two years, IEC's Calcine Retrieval Project had been searching for the ideal solution to map the interior of the waste storage vault. Known as calcine, the radioactive waste consists of granulated high-level materials originally stored in 20-foot-tall stainless-steel bins. These bins were placed inside the vault without any plans for removal, making the task of safely extracting the calcine particularly challenging. Calcine is a dried byproduct of radioactive liquid waste produced during spent nuclear fuel reprocessing activities until 1992.
IEC devised a remote method to remove the waste, involving drilling into the vault, robotic welding of pipes onto the bins, and cutting into the bins using a plasma cutter. However, without precise blueprints or a 3D map of the vault’s interior, pinpointing the exact locations for drilling was impossible.
After evaluating several potential solutions, including the use of an articulating arm and a helium-filled blimp, IEC ultimately chose the Elios 3 for the mission. Prior to the flight, the drone underwent rigorous testing in high-radiation environments, exposed to up to 10,000 Roentgen per hour of radiation to ensure it could operate safely inside the vault. Additionally, IEC constructed a full-scale replica of the vault to train pilots in conditions closely resembling the actual mission environment.
Alexandre Meldem, Managing Director of Flyability North America, commented, “It’s incredibly rewarding to see this project come to fruition after more than a year of preparation. The Elios 3 has once again demonstrated its capability to gather essential data in confined, hazardous spaces. This mission underscores the immense value our technology brings to inspection and planning projects.â€
Following two successful LiDAR data collection flights, a third experimental flight was conducted with an additional dosimeter attached to the drone, significantly increasing its weight. Despite the drone’s inability to maintain altitude during this flight, leading to a controlled descent and entanglement on a storage bin, all efforts to retrieve it were unsuccessful. Fortunately, the drone managed to transmit a maximum radiation reading of 7 Gy/h (700 rad/h) before its battery died. Subject matter experts concluded that leaving the drone on the storage bin posed no risks to human safety or the bin's integrity.
With the vault now 3D mapped, the focus shifts to planning the calcine removal process, expected to commence later this year. There are six such vaults on the site, collectively housing 4,400 cubic meters of calcine that must be removed for the project to reach completion.
To learn more about this groundbreaking mission, check out the detailed case study available online.
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About Flyability
Flyability revolutionized confined space inspections by introducing drones capable of collecting data remotely in dangerous environments. Since its inception in 2014, Flyability has established itself as a trusted provider of inspection solutions, offering advanced hardware and software tools to enhance safety, reduce downtime, and lower costs for inspection professionals. With offices in Switzerland, China, Singapore, and the U.S., Flyability serves nearly one thousand clients across more than 60 countries, working in industries ranging from power generation and oil & gas to mining and infrastructure.
Contact: [insert contact details], +41 21 311 55 00
Website: www.flyability.com / @fly_ability
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About the Idaho Environmental Coalition
In 2021, Idaho Environmental Coalition, LLC (IEC), led by Jacobs with North Wind Portage as a partner, was awarded a $6.4 billion, ten-year contract by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to oversee cleanup operations at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) Site. Comprising a network of integrated small business subcontractors, including Navarro, ORT, and Spectra Tech, IEC aims to accelerate cleanup efforts at the Idaho Cleanup Project (ICP) while reducing environmental liabilities and supporting the INL mission.
More information: www.idaho-environmental.com