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Title: 0. 20-m (8-in. ) primary burner development report

Abstract

High-Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactors (HTGRs) utilize graphite-base fuels. Fluidized-bed burners are being employed successfully in the experimental reprocessing of these fuels. The primary fluidized-bed burner is a unit operation in the reprocessing flowsheet in which the graphite moderator is removed. A detailed description of the development status of the 0.20-m (8-in.) diameter primary fluidized-bed burner as of July 1, 1977 is presented. Experimental work to date performed in 0.10; 0.20; and 0.40-m (4, 8, and 16 in.) diameter primary burners has demonstrated the feasibility of the primary burning process and, at the same time, has defined more clearly the areas in which additional experimental work is required. The design and recent operating history of the 0.20-m-diameter burner are discussed, with emphasis placed upon the evolution of the current design and operating philosophy.

Authors:
; ;
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
General Atomic Co., San Diego, Calif. (USA)
OSTI Identifier:
5246513
Report Number(s):
GA-A-14643
TRN: 78-007290
DOE Contract Number:
EY-76-C-03-0167-053
Resource Type:
Technical Report
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; BURNERS; DESIGN; PERFORMANCE; FLUIDIZED-BED COMBUSTION; HTGR TYPE REACTORS; REPROCESSING; SPENT FUELS; CHEMICAL REACTIONS; COMBUSTION; ENERGY SOURCES; FUELS; GAS COOLED REACTORS; GRAPHITE MODERATED REACTORS; NUCLEAR FUELS; OXIDATION; REACTOR MATERIALS; REACTORS; SEPARATION PROCESSES; 050800* - Nuclear Fuels- Spent Fuels Reprocessing

Citation Formats

Stula, R.T., Young, D.T., and Rode, J.S.. 0. 20-m (8-in. ) primary burner development report. United States: N. p., 1977. Web. doi:10.2172/5246513.
Stula, R.T., Young, D.T., & Rode, J.S.. 0. 20-m (8-in. ) primary burner development report. United States. doi:10.2172/5246513.
Stula, R.T., Young, D.T., and Rode, J.S.. Thu . "0. 20-m (8-in. ) primary burner development report". United States. doi:10.2172/5246513. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/5246513.
@article{osti_5246513,
title = {0. 20-m (8-in. ) primary burner development report},
author = {Stula, R.T. and Young, D.T. and Rode, J.S.},
abstractNote = {High-Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactors (HTGRs) utilize graphite-base fuels. Fluidized-bed burners are being employed successfully in the experimental reprocessing of these fuels. The primary fluidized-bed burner is a unit operation in the reprocessing flowsheet in which the graphite moderator is removed. A detailed description of the development status of the 0.20-m (8-in.) diameter primary fluidized-bed burner as of July 1, 1977 is presented. Experimental work to date performed in 0.10; 0.20; and 0.40-m (4, 8, and 16 in.) diameter primary burners has demonstrated the feasibility of the primary burning process and, at the same time, has defined more clearly the areas in which additional experimental work is required. The design and recent operating history of the 0.20-m-diameter burner are discussed, with emphasis placed upon the evolution of the current design and operating philosophy.},
doi = {10.2172/5246513},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Thu Dec 01 00:00:00 EST 1977},
month = {Thu Dec 01 00:00:00 EST 1977}
}

Technical Report:

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  • HTGR reprocessing consists of crushing the spent fuel elements to a size suitable for burning in a fluidized bed to remove excess graphite, separating the fissile and fertile particles, crushing and burning the SiC-coated fuel particles to remove the remainder of the carbon, dissolution and separation of the particles from insoluble materials, and solvent extraction separation of the dissolved uranium and thorium. Burning the crushed fuel elements is accomplished in a primary burner. This is a batch-continuous, fluidized-bed process utilizing above-bed gravity fines recycle. In gas-solid separation, a combination of a cyclone and porous metal filters is used. This reportmore » documents operational tests performed on a 0.20-m primary burner using crushed fuel representative of both Fort St. Vrain and large high-temperature gas-cooled reactor cores. The burner was reconstructed to a gravity fines recycle mode prior to beginning these tests. Results of two separate and successful 48-hour burner runs and several short-term runs have indicated the operability of this concept. Recommendations are made for future work.« less
  • Fluidized bed combustion is required in reprocessing the graphite-based fuel elements from high-temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR) cores. This burning process requires combustion of beds containing both large particles and very dense particles, and also of fine graphite particles which elutriate from the bed. This report documents the successful long-term operation of the 0.40-m primary burner in burning crushed fuel elements. The 0.40-m system operation is followed from its first short heatup test in September 1976 to a > 40-h burning campaign that processed 20 LHTGR blocks in September 1977. The 0.40-m perforated conical gas distributor, scaled up from the 0.20-mmore » primary burner, has proven reliable in safely burning even the largest, densest adhered graphite/fuel particle clusters originating from the crushing of loaded fuel elements. Such clusters had never been fed to the 0.20-m system. Efficient combustion of graphite fines using the pressurized recycle technique was demonstrated throughout the long-duration operation required to reduce a high carbon fresh feed bed to a low carbon particle bed. Again, such operation had never been completed on the 0.20-m system from which the 0.40-m burner was scaled. The successful completion of the tests was due, in part, to implementation of significant equipment revisions which were suggested by both the initial 0.40-m system tests and by results of ongoing development work on the 0.2-m primary burner. These revisions included additional penetrations in the burner tube side-wall for above-bed fines recycle, replacement and deletion of several metal bellows with bellows of more reliable design, and improvements in designs for burner alignment and feeder mechanisms. 76 figures, 8 tables.« less
  • HTGR fuel reprocessing consists of crushing the spent fuel elements to a size suitable for burning in a fluidized bed to remove excess graphite; separating, crushing, and reburning the fuel particles to remove the remainder of the burnable carbon; dissolution and separation of the particles from insoluble materials; and solvent extraction separation of the dissolved uranium and thorium. Burning the crushed fuel particles is accomplished in a secondary burner. This is a batch fluidized-bed reactor with in-vessel, off-gas filtration. Process heat is provided by an induction heater. This report documents operational tests performed on a commercial size 0.20-m secondary burnermore » using crushed Fort St. Vrain type TRISO fuel particles. Analysis of a parametric study of burner process variables led to recommending lower bed superficial velocity (0.8 m/s), lower ignition temperature (600/sup 0/C), lower fluid bed operating temperature (850/sup 0/C), lower filter blowback frequency (1 cycle/minute), and a lower fluid bed superficial velocity during final bed burnout (0.45 m/s).« less
  • Four air cathodes representing the products of three manufacturers were tested under conditions of continuous and intermittent polarization in order to determine their suitability for testing large-scale aluminum-air single cells. Polarization tests on 25-cm/sup 2/ samples were conducted at 60/sup 0/C in flowing electrolyte (6 M NaOH + 1.4 M Al(OH)/sub 3/ + 0.06 M Na/sub 2/Sn(OH)/sub 6/), over the current density range, 0 to 8 kA/m/sup 2/. Continuous polarization tests were conducted under these conditions at 1.3 kA/m/sup 2/ for up to 312 hours. Intermittent tests consisted of alternate periods of polarization at 1.3 kA/m/sup 2/ for 1 hourmore » under the above conditions, and standby at open circuit in cold, stationary, supersaturated caustic aluminate solutions for up to 24 h. The W electrode performed for 312 h with a decrease of potential of 0.11 V at 1.3 kA/m/sup 2/. The X standard electrode failed to sustain continuous polarization for longer than 12 h. Both W and Z electrodes met or nearly met polarization requirements in the Request for Proposal No. 6352009. The tests demonstrated that the W electrode is sufficiently durable and low in polarization to be used for testing 0.1-m/sup 2/ aluminum-air cells. 17 figures, 6 tables.« less
  • Wells ER-20-4 and ER-20-8 were drilled during fiscal year (FY) 2009 and FY 2010 (NNSA/NSO, 2011a and b). The closest underground nuclear test detonations to the area of investigation are TYBO (U-20y), BELMONT (U-20as), MOLBO (U-20ag), BENHAM (U-20c), and HOYA (U-20 be) (Figure 1-1). The TYBO, MOLBO, and BENHAM detonations had working points located below the regional water table. The BELMONT and HOYA detonation working points were located just above the water table, and the cavity for these detonations are calculated to extend below the water table (Pawloski et al., 2002). The broad purpose of Wells ER-20-4 and ER-20-8 ismore » to determine the extent of radionuclide-contaminated groundwater, the geologic formations, groundwater geochemistry as an indicator of age and origin, and the water-bearing properties and hydraulic conditions that influence radionuclide migration. Well development and testing is performed to determine the hydraulic properties at the well and between other wells, and to obtain groundwater samples at the well that are representative of the formation at the well. The area location, wells, underground nuclear detonations, and other features are shown in Figure 1-1. Hydrostratigraphic cross sections A-A’, B-B’, C-C’, and D-D’ are shown in Figures 1-2 through 1-5, respectively.« less