Savannah River Site (SRS) requirements for testing include acceptance and Predictive Maintenance (PdM) monitoring of critical process equipment, such as pumps and fans.  Some of these critical assets, such as the mixer pumps, cost over $1 million dollars, but this is low compared to the cost of installation and removal from the high radiation / contamination within the waste tank’s environment.  Also, Department of Energy (DOE) holds SRS accountable to process schedules with fee bearing milestones in place.  The PdM technology, dealing with vibration monitoring, has proven its worth to the stakeholders at SRS.  However, without the use of wireless equipment to monitor some of these critical assets, using vibration technology, has been impractical at SRS.

Jerald (Danny) Newton is a Principal Predictive Maintenance Tech Specialist, with the Savannah River Remediation’s Co (SRR).  This company supports the environmental cleanup at one of the largest Department of Energy (DOE) sites located in South Carolina.  The DOE site has a footprint of 310 square miles and is located on the Savannah River, boarding Georgia.  He has worked at this site for over 39 years.  During this time, he has served as a Maintenance Mechanic/Welder, Engineering QC/QA Welding Inspector Specialist, and for the last 24 years in the SRS PdM Program.  He has obtained an ISO Category III Certification, Vibration Analyst, from Technical Associates of Charlotte, NC.  For the past 14 years, he has been the PdM Lead, for testing support at the SRR Full Tank Test Facility, at SRS.  This facility is the only one of its kind in the United States for testing of long shaft mixer pumps, in a simulated waste tank environment.  His recent accomplishments include the approval, procurement, and implantation of the SRR / PdM Wireless Monitoring Program.