Hydraulic Performance and Mass Transfer Efficiency of Engineering Scale Centrifugal Contactors

Conference · Sat Sep 01 00:00:00 EDT 2007

OSTI ID:918179

Meikrantz, David; Garn, Troy; Mann, Nick; Law, Jack; Todd, Terry

Annular centrifugal contactors (ACCs) are being evaluated for process-scale solvent extraction operations in support of Advanced Fuel Cycle Initiative (AFCI) separations goals. Process-scale annular centrifugal contactors have the potential for high stage efficiency if properly employed and optimized for the application. Hydraulic performance issues related to flow instability and classical flooding are likely unimportant, especially for units with high throughputs. However, annular mixing increases rapidly with increasing rotor diameter while maintaining a fixed g force at the rotor wall. In addition, for engineering/process-scale contactors, elevated rotor speeds and/or throughput rates, can lead to organic phase foaming at the rotor discharge collector area. Foam buildup in the upper rotor head area can aspirate additional vapor from the contactor housing resulting in a complete loss of separation equilibrium. Variable speed drives are thus desirable to optimize and balance the operating parameters to help ensure acceptable performance. Proper venting of larger contactors is required to balance pressures across individual stages and prevent vapor lock due to foam aspiration.

• Research Organization: Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: DOE - NE
• DOE Contract Number: DE-AC07-99ID-13727
• OSTI ID: 918179
• Report Number(s): INL/CON-07-12167; TRN: US0805257
• Resource Relation: Conference: Global 2007,Boise, ID,09/09/2007,09/13/2007
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

42 - ENGINEERING, 38 - RADIATION CHEMISTRY, RADIOCHEMISTRY, AND NUCLEAR CHEMISTRY, 46 - INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
BUILDUP
EFFICIENCY
EXTRACTION APPARATUSES
FUEL CYCLE
HYDRAULICS
INSTABILITY
MASS TRANSFER
NUCLEAR FUELS
PERFORMANCE
ROTORS
SOLVENT EXTRACTION
AFCI
centrifugal contactor
rotor diameter
rotor speed
solvent extraction