Abstract
Pyroprocessing is being developed at Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI), and in recent years, all process equipment required for integrated processes have been examined in the PyRoprocess-integrated Inactive DEmonstration (PRIDE) facility. Based on the successful operation of a pilot-scale facility, a conceptual design for this scale-up facility was actualized. Implementing a “demonstration-scale” hot cell facility is challenging as it is intended to supersede PRIDE and satisfy the increased requirements of larger-scale facilities. This study focused on an inerting strategy for a larger-scale (demonstration-scale) hot cell facility to achieve conditions equivalent to those in a pilot-scale gas-tight argon cell facility. The study applies the inerting strategy to a demonstration-scale hot cell facility beyond that of the currently existing pilot-scale hot cell facility and performs computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation with various flow rates to determine an appropriate approach for inerting the target facility. To this end, practical constraints on the simulation are introduced based on experiences from the existing pilot-scale facility. The results show that the purging flow rate should be accurately predicted, and a variable flow rate should be applied to achieve hot cell inerting effectively. The required purging time and amount of inerting source are essential factors in the larger-scale hot cell facility. The study results can be helpful in the design of large hot cell facilities operated under inert conditions.
Highlights
One of the most effective methods of reducing uncertainty when scaling a process is to perform bench-scale research on actual feed material, when expecting that the feedstock will be subject to campaign-specific variance. is is critical when dealing with electrometallurgical and electrochemical processes, in which trace impurities can affect the entire process
PyRoprocess-integrated Inactive DEmonstration (PRIDE) is a pilot facility used to simulate integrated pyroprocessing at an engineering scale in an inert atmosphere. e main operation facility is 40 m in length, 4.8 m in width, and 6.4 m in height. e utility systems are operated to maintain an inert atmosphere, and their operational requirements determine that the concentrations of oxygen and moisture be maintained below 50 ppm. erefore, the following basic assumptions related to calculating the circulating flow of the inerting gas in PRIDE were made
An inert gas atmosphere must be maintained in pyroprocessing because it is inert to the lithium chloride and other materials in the electrolyte salt while preventing pyrophoric reactions of metal fuel. e considered facility must achieve significantly increased annual production beyond that of the previous facility. is study focused on an inerting strategy for a larger-scale hot cell facility to achieve conditions equivalent to those in the pilot-scale gastight argon cell facility
Summary
One of the most effective methods of reducing uncertainty when scaling a process is to perform bench-scale research on actual feed material, when expecting that the feedstock will be subject to campaign-specific variance. is is critical when dealing with electrometallurgical and electrochemical processes, in which trace impurities can affect the entire process. Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI) has been developing pyroprocessing technology since 1997, and it has performed core concept development, bench-scale tests, and lab-scale demonstrations since 2006. From 2007 to 2011, it conducted the design and construction of a pilot-scale integrated system, called the PyRoprocess-integrated Inactive DEmonstration (PRIDE) facility (Figure 1), with an annual capacity of 10 tons for batch process using inactive simulants with depleted uranium [1,2,3,4]. Pilot plants serve as small-scale production systems to test practically and validate a production technology before commercialization. Erefore, we had to find an appropriate purging method based on our experience of the existing pilot-scale facility operation, and we investigated the efficient and economic purging parameters for the initial inerting of the considered demonstration-scale facility They have functional and structural differences from each other, such as in terms of the cell volume, degree of radiation hardness, and applications. erefore, we had to find an appropriate purging method based on our experience of the existing pilot-scale facility operation, and we investigated the efficient and economic purging parameters for the initial inerting of the considered demonstration-scale facility
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