Accurately determining the concentration of analytes at complex sites such as the Hanford legacy waste site in Washington state presents a challenging problem. Monitoring of critical components of interest via online monitoring techniques (such as Raman spectroscopy, LIBS, and Ultrasonic Pulse Echo devices) is a solution that provides plant operators early indication of process performance, resulting in improved plant efficiency. While Raman probes themselves are available commercially, testing design variables such as the Raman probe insertion angle and depth when implemented into a flowing system is imperative to successful deployment. A first-generation flow loop focusing on testing Raman probes was commissioned in the radiochemical processing laboratory at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory for this purpose. Spool pieces outfitted with different sensors allow for testing of these variables in a model system. Design considerations allow for varying flow rates and chemical compositions. The loop was successfully manufactured and will be the predecessor to a larger flow loop for in-line testing of multiple sensing modalities simultaneously.
