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By Hugo Melo
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On the evening of February 14, 2014, radiological sensors underground at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) facility detected a radiation release. This sensor triggered a reconfiguration of the ventilation system from a flow of 123 m3/s (260,000 cfm) to 28.3 m3/s (60,000 cfm) through two HEPA filtration trains. The ventilation system has been kept at a filtered flow of 28.3 m3/s (60,000 cfm) since the radiation event. Approximately two months after the event several of the high efficiency pre-filters in the filter trains were showing an increase in differential pressure, which is indicative of filter loading. This paper describes the analyses performed to engineer a “by-pass” inlet to the operating fan in order to maintain 28.3 m3/s (60,000 cfm) while taking one filter train off line. Once the train was off-line, the pre-filters could be changed out. Operating at the filtered flow rate also resulted in noticeable impacts from natural ventilation pressure, particularly in the winter months. This too is described in the paper along with the proposed modifications to the current ventilation configuration. Proposed modifications include the addition of fans and filter trains on surface in parallel with the existing system and the addition of an underground booster fan to increase flow to the “clean” side of the facility.