AIKEN, S.C. - Every engineer in the melter group at the Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF) knew who was about to visit the Savannah River Site (SRS).
A 1969 mechanical engineering graduate of the University of Maryland, Joseph Gutmann was the lead engineer for the DWPF melter design for almost a decade and author of the Melter Technology Manual - a four-volume record of the melter’s design and construction - still used daily by DWPF engineers.
Over 20 years passed since Gutmann had been to SRS, about the same time the first melter began operating.
“Seeing Melter 3 in the mock-up facility brought back a lot of memories," he said of his April 2017 visit and the vessel being prepared for installation in DWPF.
Gutmann helped design DWPF’s first and second melters at DuPont in Newark, Delaware in the 1980s. That company designed and built what was then called the Savannah River Plant.
John Owen, an engineer at EM’s liquid waste contractor Savannah River Remediation, met Gutmann when DWPF was undergoing startup testing over 20 years ago. Owen recently notified Gutmann that Melter 2 was being replaced with Melter 3 after operating nearly 14 years.
“Joe’s work is part of our everyday lives here at the Defense Waste Processing Facility," Owen said. “Every bit of what we use to troubleshoot the melter comes from his work done years ago."
Gutmann knew little about refractory materials, or heat-resistant substances, when he began the melter project. He participated in multiple refractory workshops before beginning the melter design work.
The DWPF melters are stainless-steel vessels lined with ceramic refractory that withstand 2,100-degree Fahrenheit temperatures to melt borosilicate frit with high-level waste, turning it into glass for safe storage.
After completing the design work, Gutmann spent a year drafting the manual on behalf of DuPont.
Gutmann appreciated the SRS visit, especially while a melter was being replaced.
“It is the highlight of my year to be back visiting," Gutmann said. “Working on the melter for the Defense Waste Processing Facility was the most challenging project of my career, and it was by far the most rewarding."
Source: U.S. Dept. of Energy, Office of Environmental Management
