WTP Pilot-Scale Evaporation Tests
This report documents the design, assembly, and operation of a Pilot-Scale Evaporator built and operated by SRTC in support of Waste Treatment Plant (WTP) Project at the DOE's Hanford Site. The WTP employs three identical evaporators, two for the Waste Feed and one for the Treated LAW. The Pilot-Scale Evaporator was designed to test simulants for both of these waste streams. The Pilot-Scale Evaporator is 1/76th scale in terms of evaporation rates. The basic configuration of forced circulation vacuum evaporator was employed. A detailed scaling analysis was performed to preserve key operating parameters such as basic loop configuration, system vacuum, boiling temperature, recirculation rates, vertical distances between important hardware pieces, reboiler heat transfer characteristics, vapor flux, configuration of demisters and water spray rings. Three evaporation test campaigns were completed. The first evaporation run used water in order to shake down the system. The water runs were important in identifying a design flaw that inhibited mixing in the evaporator vessel, thus resulting in unstable boiling operation. As a result the loop configuration was modified and the remaining runs were completed successfully. Two simulant runs followed the water runs. Test 1: Simulated Ultrafiltration Recycles with HLW SBS, and Test 2: Treated AN102 with Envelop C LAW. Several liquid and offgas samples were drawn from the evaporator facility for regulatory and non-regulatory analyses. During Test 2, the feed and the concentrate were spiked with organics to determine organic partitioning. The decontamination factor (DF) for Test 1 was measured to be 110,000 (more than the expected value of 100,000). Dow Corning Q2-3183A antifoam agent was tested during both Tests 1 and 2. It was determined that 500 ppm of this antifoam agent was sufficient to control the foaminess to less than 5 per cent of the liquid height. The long-term testing (around 100 hours of operation) did not show any fouling of reboiler or other loop piping. The Pilot-Scale Evaporator will be used in the Semi-Integrated Pilot Plant tests. Additionally, the Pilot-Scale design can easily accommodate hardware changes that result from the development of the full-scale evaporator to resolve any issues arising from the startup or operation of the full-scale facility.
- Research Organization:
- Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- US Department of Energy (US)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC09-96SR18500
- OSTI ID:
- 836703
- Report Number(s):
- WSRC-TR-2003-00561SRT-RPP-2003-00244; TRN: US0500724
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: PBD: 1 Mar 2004
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
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Related Subjects
BOILING
CONFIGURATION
DECONTAMINATION
DEFECTS
DESIGN
EFFICIENCY
EVAPORATION
EVAPORATORS
FOULING
HEAT TRANSFER
PILOT PLANTS
TESTING
ULTRAFILTRATION
WASTE PROCESSING
WASTES
WATER
PILOT-SCALE EVAPORATOR
WTP SIMULANTS
LAW FEED EVAPORATOR
MELTER FEED EVAPORATOR
ANTIFOAM AGENT
DECONTAMINATION FACTOR
DEMISTER