Beric Wells

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
PO Box 999
Richland, WA 99352
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Biography

Since joining Battelle in August, 1998, Mr. Wells has been involved with flammable gas and waste retrieval issues related to the Hanford waste tanks as a technical contributor to the Tank Waste Safety program. Initially, he evaluated remediation strategies and predicted tank end-state conditions for the surface level rise and remediation issues associated with Tank 241-SY-101.

Mr. Wells has since assisted in the development of buoyancy-driven gas release event models for the Hanford double-shell waste tanks. To apply the models under varying retrieval schemes, he has developed mathematical models that describe the waste's physical, chemical, and rheological behaviors based on the available data. This data analysis has also included Hanford single-shell tanks. He has applied his knowledge of the tank wastes to liquid and solid pipeline transport phenomena and leak detection, and has studied waste dilution and jet mixing of Newtonian and Non-Newtonian fluids in the tanks with numerical simulations of physical and chemical processes.

Education and Credentials

M.S. Mechanical Engineering, Washington State University, 1998
B.S. Mechanical Engineering, Washington State University, 1996

Selected Publications

2009

Wells BE, and JJ Ressler. 2009. Estimate of the Distribution of Solids Within Mixed Hanford Double-Shell Tank AZ-101: Implications for AY-102. PNNL-18327, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA.
Fellinger AP, MW Rinker, EJ Berglin, RL Minichan, MR Poirier, PA Gauglitz, BA Martin, BK Hatchell, E Saldivar, OD Mullen, NF Chapman, BE Wells, and PW Gibbons. 2009. EM-21 Retrieval Knowledge Center: Waste Retrieval Challenges . PNNL-18356, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA.
Gauglitz PA, BE Wells, JA Fort, and PA Meyer. 2009. An Approach to Understanding Cohesive Slurry Settling, Mobilization, and Hydrogen Gas Retention in Pulsed Jet Mixed Vessels. PNNL-17707, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA.
Meyer PA, JA Bamberger, CW Enderlin, JA Fort, BE Wells, SK Sundaram, PA Scott, MJ Minette, GL Smith, CA Burns, MS Greenwood, GP Morgen, EBK Baer, SF Snyder, M White, GF Piepel, BG Amidan, A Heredia-Langner, SA Bailey, JC Bower, KM Denslow, DE Eakin, MR Elmore, PA Gauglitz, AD Guzman, BK Hatchell, DF Hopkins, DE Hurley, MD Johnson, LJ Kirihara, BD Lawler, JS Loveland, OD Mullen, MS Pekour, TJ Peters, PJ Robinson, MS Russcher, S Sande, C Santoso, SV Shoemaker, SM Silva, DE Smith, YF Su, JJ Toth, JD Wiberg, XY Yu, and N Zuljevic. 2009. Pulse Jet Mixing Tests With Noncohesive Solids. PNNL-18098, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA.

2008

Wells BE, KI Johnson, DR Rector, and DS Trent. 2008. S-102 Transfer Pump Restriction Modeling Results . PNNL-17424, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA.
Mahoney LA, JM Alzheimer, ST Arm, CE Guzman-Leong, LK Jagoda, CW Stewart, BE Wells, and ST Yokuda. 2008. "Large-Scale Testing of Effects of Anti-Foam Agent on Gas Holdup in Process Vessels in the Hanford Waste Treatment Plant - 8280." In Waste Management 2008 HLW, TRU, LLW/ILW, Mixed, Hazardous Wastes & Environmental Management. Arizona Board of Regents, Tucson, AZ.
Stewart CW, CE Guzman-Leong, ST Arm, MG Butcher, EC Golovich, LK Jagoda, WR Park, RW Slaugh, YF Su, CF Wend, LA Mahoney, JM Alzheimer, JA Bailey, SK Cooley, DE Hurley, CD Johnson, LD Reid, HD Smith, BE Wells, and ST Yokuda. 2008. Results of Large-Scale Testing on Effects of Anti-Foam Agent on Gas Retention and Release. PNNL-17170, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA.

2007

Poloski AP, BE Wells, JM Tingey, LA Mahoney, MN Hall, SL Thomson, GL Smith, ME Johnson, JE Meacham, MA Knight, MG Thien, JJ Davis, and Y Onishi. 2007. Estimate of Hanford Waste Rheology and Settling Behavior. PNNL-16857, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA.

2005

Stewart CW, MS Fountain, JL Huckaby, LA Mahoney, PA Meyer, and BE Wells. 2005. Effects of Globally Waste Disturbing Activities on Gas Generation, Retention, and Release in Hanford Waste Tanks. PNNL-13781 Rev. 3, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA.
Stewart CW, SA Hartley, PA Meyer, and BE Wells. 2005. Predicting Peak Hydrogen Concentrations from Spontaneous Gas Releases in Hanford Waste Tanks . PNNL-15238, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA.

2004

Huckaby JL, and BE Wells. 2004. Flammable Gas Release Estimates for Modified Sluicing Retrieval of Waste from Selected Hanford Single-Shell Tanks. PNNL-14271 Rev. 1, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA.
Huckaby JL, and BE Wells. 2004. Flammable Gas Release Estimates for Modified Sluicing Retrieval of Waste from Selected Hanford Single-Shell Tanks . PNNL-14271 Rev. 2, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA.
Onishi Y, and BE Wells. 2004. Feasibility Study on Using Two Mixer Pumps for Tank 241-AY-102 Waste Mixing . PNNL-14763, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA.

2003

Wells BE. 2003. Analysis of Induced Gas Releases During Retrieval of Hanford Double-Shell Tank Waste. PNNL-13782 Rev. 1 Addendum, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA.
Huckaby JL, and BE Wells. 2003. Flammable Gas Release Estimates for Modified Sluicing Retrieval of Waste from Selected Hanford Single-Shell Tanks. PNNL-14271, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA.
Onishi Y, BE Wells, ST Yokuda, and G Terrones. 2003. Feasibility Study on Using a Single Mixer Pump for Tank 241-AN-101 Waste Retrieval . PNNL-14105, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA.
Onishi Y, DS Trent, BE Wells, and LA Mahoney. 2003. Assessment of Tank 241-S-112 Liquid Waste Mixing in Tank 241-SY-101 . PNNL-14399, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA.
Onishi Y, JM Tingey, KP Recknagle, J Liu, G Terrones, ST Yokuda, BE Wells, and M Quinn. 2003. Retrieval and Pipeline Transfer Assessment of Hanford Tank 241-AN-105 Waste. PNNL-14144, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA.
Rassat SD, LA Mahoney, BE Wells, DP Mendoza, and DD Caldwell. 2003. Assessment of Physical Properties of Transuranic Waste in Hanford Single-Shell Tanks. PNNL-14221, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA.
Tingey JM, J Gao, CH Delegard, LM Bagaasen, and BE Wells. 2003. Physical Property and Rheological Testing of Actual Transuranic Waste from Hanford Single-Shell Tanks. PNNL-14365, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA.

2002

Wells BE, JM Cuta, SA Hartley, LA Mahoney, PA Meyer, and CW Stewart. 2002. Analysis of Induced Gas Released During Retrieval of Hanford Double-Shell Tank Waste. PNNL-13782, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA.
Wells BE, JM Cuta, SA Hartley, LA Mahoney, PA Meyer, and CW Stewart. 2002. Analysis of Induced Gas Releases During Retrieval of Hanford Double-Shell Tank Waste. PNNL-13782 Rev. 1, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA.
Onishi Y, BE Wells, SA Hartley, and SK Cooley. 2002. Pipeline Cross-Site Transfer Assessment for Tank 241-SY-101 Waste . PNNL-13650, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA.
Onishi Y, BE Wells, SA Hartley, CW Enderlin, and M White. 2002. Material Balance Assessment for Double-Shell Tank Waste Pipeline Transfer. PNNL-13485-Rev. 1, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA.

2001

Onishi Y, BE Wells, and WL Kuhn. 2001. Waste Tank Size Determination for the Hanford River Protection Project Cold Test, Training, and Mockup Facility. PNNL-13448, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA.
Onishi Y, BE Wells, SA Hartley, and CW Enderlin. 2001. Material Balance Assessment for Double-Shell Tank Waste Pipeline Transfer. PNNL-13485, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA.

2000

Wells BE, PA Meyer, and G Chen. 2000. The Potential for Buoyant Displacement Gas Release Events in Tank 241-SY-102 after Waste Transfer from Tank 241-SY-101. PNNL-13202, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA.
Onishi Y, KP Recknagle, and BE Wells. 2000. Pump Jet Mixing and Pipeline Transfer Assessment for High-Activity Radioactive Wastes in Hanford Tank 241-AZ-102. PNNL-13275, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA.
Rassat SD, CW Stewart, BE Wells, WL Kuhn, ZI Antoniak, JM Cuta, KP Recknagle, G Terrones, VV Viswanathan, JH Sukamto, and DP Mendoza. 2000. Dynamics of Crust Dissolution and Gas Release in Tank 241-SY-101. PNNL-13112, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA.