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Title: Acoustic and turbulent agglomeration of sodium aerosols. Quarterly report, January 1, 1977--March 31, 1977

Abstract

Tests of turbulent and acoustic agglomeration of captive sodium fire aerosols at concentrations of 0.1 to 20 gm/m/sup 3/ were conducted in 90 m/sup 3/ and 0.65 m/sup 3/ vessels to evaluate these mechanisms for direct application air cleaning systems. Aerosol mass concentration decay with time was monitored by sequential filter samples. Turbulence was generated mechanically with a 51 cm diameter centrifugal fan impeller and a reverberant acoustic field was created with an electronic siren. The effectiveness of each method over a range of particle concentrations and power densities was evaluated by an agglomeration index, a measurement of particle growth based on sedimentation characteristics. Both turbulent and acoustic treatment markedly enhanced sedimentation rate compared to undisturbed settling. The effectiveness of both methods increased with increasing aerosol mass concentration and increasing power input per unit volume of aerosol. The agglomeration index reached 20 for turbulent agglomeration at an aerosol mass concentration of 3 gm/m/sup 3/ and 7 for acoustic agglomeration at 14 gm/m/sup 3/ when using an acoustic intensity of 145 dB. Turbulent agglomeration was more effective than acoustic agglomeration for the same mass concentration and power density conditions.

Authors:
; ;
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Harvard Univ., Cambridge, MA (USA)
OSTI Identifier:
7257410
Report Number(s):
COO-2801-6
DOE Contract Number:
EY-76-S-02-2801
Resource Type:
Technical Report
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS; 21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS; AEROSOLS; AGGLOMERATION; CONTAINMENT BUILDINGS; LMFBR TYPE REACTORS; AIR CLEANING SYSTEMS; FIRES; SODIUM; SOUND WAVES; TURBULENCE; ALKALI METALS; BREEDER REACTORS; COLLOIDS; CONTAINMENT; DISPERSIONS; ELEMENTS; ENGINEERED SAFETY SYSTEMS; EPITHERMAL REACTORS; FAST REACTORS; FBR TYPE REACTORS; LIQUID METAL COOLED REACTORS; METALS; REACTORS; SOLS; 220900* - Nuclear Reactor Technology- Reactor Safety; 210500 - Power Reactors, Breeding

Citation Formats

Hinds, W., Mallove, E.F., and First, M.W. Acoustic and turbulent agglomeration of sodium aerosols. Quarterly report, January 1, 1977--March 31, 1977. United States: N. p., 1977. Web. doi:10.2172/7257410.
Hinds, W., Mallove, E.F., & First, M.W. Acoustic and turbulent agglomeration of sodium aerosols. Quarterly report, January 1, 1977--March 31, 1977. United States. doi:10.2172/7257410.
Hinds, W., Mallove, E.F., and First, M.W. Fri . "Acoustic and turbulent agglomeration of sodium aerosols. Quarterly report, January 1, 1977--March 31, 1977". United States. doi:10.2172/7257410. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/7257410.
@article{osti_7257410,
title = {Acoustic and turbulent agglomeration of sodium aerosols. Quarterly report, January 1, 1977--March 31, 1977},
author = {Hinds, W. and Mallove, E.F. and First, M.W.},
abstractNote = {Tests of turbulent and acoustic agglomeration of captive sodium fire aerosols at concentrations of 0.1 to 20 gm/m/sup 3/ were conducted in 90 m/sup 3/ and 0.65 m/sup 3/ vessels to evaluate these mechanisms for direct application air cleaning systems. Aerosol mass concentration decay with time was monitored by sequential filter samples. Turbulence was generated mechanically with a 51 cm diameter centrifugal fan impeller and a reverberant acoustic field was created with an electronic siren. The effectiveness of each method over a range of particle concentrations and power densities was evaluated by an agglomeration index, a measurement of particle growth based on sedimentation characteristics. Both turbulent and acoustic treatment markedly enhanced sedimentation rate compared to undisturbed settling. The effectiveness of both methods increased with increasing aerosol mass concentration and increasing power input per unit volume of aerosol. The agglomeration index reached 20 for turbulent agglomeration at an aerosol mass concentration of 3 gm/m/sup 3/ and 7 for acoustic agglomeration at 14 gm/m/sup 3/ when using an acoustic intensity of 145 dB. Turbulent agglomeration was more effective than acoustic agglomeration for the same mass concentration and power density conditions.},
doi = {10.2172/7257410},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Fri Apr 01 00:00:00 EST 1977},
month = {Fri Apr 01 00:00:00 EST 1977}
}

Technical Report:

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  • Freshly formed and aged sodium aerosols generated by burning metallic sodium in air were decontaminated in wet cell washers of experimental design. Two wetted cells in series packed with curly glass fibers 35 ..mu..m in diameter gave removal efficiencies in excess of 90%. More efficient cell packings and a larger number of cells in series can be used to raise collection efficiency above 99%.
  • Design of a wet cell washer and test system for air cleaning of sodium fire aerosols is described. The test aerosol was produced by continuous burning of metallic sodium in a 90 m/sup 3/ chamber to maintain a concentration of 1.14+-0.05 g/m/sup 3/ for as long as 65 minutes. The sodium fire aerosol was drawn through the wet cell washer test loop at a constant flow rate of 9 m/sup 3//min. The wet cell washer consisted of two cells in series, the first, two off-set layers of performated metal screen, and the second, a 4'' thick filter stage packed withmore » curly glass fibers 35 ..mu..m in diameter. The wet cells were washed by solid cone water spray at 16.7 lpm at 30 psig. Sodium removal efficiencies ranged from 87 to 94%. Curly glass fibers were found to deteriorate after a six hour exposure to sodium aerosols.« less
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  • Development work was done on a long-life, self-contained ocean bottom instrumentation and seismic measurement system. The underwater-acoustic-data-link tests were conducted at Elephant Butte Lake in southern New Mexico during 31 January through 3 February 1977. These tests were successful in demonstrating a high-data-rate acoustic transmission technique for transmission of digital data within acceptable performance specifications. The principal objective of the test was to evaluate several concepts which, when combined, should provide a reliable two-way digital data link between underwater instrumentation systems and surface receiving/recording stations. Digital data was transmitted at rates in excess of 2500 bits per second (bps) withmore » bit/error rates less than one in one thousand. Development is in progress on a prototype sediment instrumentation package incorporating an acoustic data-transmission link and a limited set of basic sensors for operational testing in the Gulf of Mexico in July 1977. The Sandia instrumentation, data collection and transmission system for SEASWAB II has been operational since December 2, 1976. The Sandia accelerometer for bottom motion detection is transmitting motion measurements continually and analysis of data has begun at A and M. Underwater tests of the deployment of the MSP data transmission cable were successfully conducted in the Sandia hydroballistic facility in January. The new technique involves use of a high-melting-temperature wax as potting material in the cable spool. Design layout is complete on the 4'' MSP-III vehicle. This vehicle is designed for additional penetration depths to improve sediment evaluations and instrument implantation in the ocean bottom.« less
  • The overall purpose of this research project is to carry out the preliminary laboratory-scale development of a gas-promoted, oil agglomeration process for cleaning coal using model mixing systems. Specific objectives include determining the nature of the gas promotion mechanism, the effects of hydrodynamic factors and key parameters on process performance, and a suitable basis for size scale-up of the mixing system. Further analysis of the results of a series of oil agglomeration tests reported previously showed that the time required to produce spherical agglomerates depends on both the power input per unit volume and the concentration of air in themore » coal suspension. A subsequent series of tests has shown that extending the time of agitation beyond the point where spherical agglomeration seems to occur produces larger agglomerates which are recovered more easily and the separation efficiency of the process is improved.« less