Westinghouse Electric Corporation

Thomas A DeBarber

Joseph A Battaglia

Bruce R Sewter

Lester Clemons, Jr

Both an apparatus and method for water washing garments in order to remove particulate radioactive contaminants therefrom is disclosed herein. The apparatus generally comprises a washing machine having a wash-water inlet, a rinse-water inlet, a circulation inlet, a water outlet and a particulate removal system connected between the circulation inlet and the water outlet of the washing machine for circulating water introduced into the washing machine between two and three times through a filtration bank while the machine washes or rinses the garments. The apparatus also includes a hydraulically closed wash-water system having a polished wash-water reservoir connected to the wash-water inlet of the washing machine, as well as a hydraulically closed rinse-water system having a polished rinse-water reservoir connected to the rinse-water inlet of the machine. Both the wash-water system and the rinse-water system also have water polishers for removing dissolved radionucleides from the clothing. The particulate removal system effectively counteracts the tendency of the garments to trap particulate radioactive contaminants during both the wash and rinse cycles, and provides more effective decontamination of the garments in shorter wash and rinse times.

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Cayucos, CA, United States of America

Thomas A DeBarber