Design and Construction of Experiment for Direct Electron Irradiation of Uranyl Sulfate Solution: Bubble Formation and Thermal Hydraulics Studies

Technical Report · Wed Oct 01 00:00:00 EDT 2014

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/1224953· OSTI ID:1224953

Chemerisov, Sergey ^[1]; Gromov, Roman ^[1]; Makarashvili, Vakho ^[1]; Heltemes, Thad ^[1]; Sun, Zaijing ^[1]; Wardle, Kent E. ^[1]; Bailey, James ^[1]; Quigley, Kevin ^[1]; Stepinski, Dominique ^[1]; Vandegrift, George ^[1]

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1. Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)

Argonne is assisting SHINE Medical Technologies in developing SHINE, a system for producing fission-product ⁹⁹Mo using a D/T-accelerator to produce fission in a non-critical target solution of aqueous uranyl sulfate. We have developed an experimental setup for studying thermal-hydraulics and bubble formation in the uranyl sulfate solution to simulate conditions expected in the SHINE target solution during irradiation. A direct electron beam from the linac accelerator will be used to irradiate a 20 L solution (sector of the solution vessel). Because the solution will undergo radiolytic decomposition, we will be able to study bubble formation and dynamics and effects of convection and temperature on bubble behavior. These experiments will serve as a verification/ validation tool for the thermal-hydraulic model. Utilization of the direct electron beam for irradiation allows homogeneous heating of a large solution volume and simplifies observation of the bubble dynamics simultaneously with thermal-hydraulic data collection, which will complement data collected during operation of the miniSHINE experiment. Irradiation will be conducted using a 30-40 MeV electron beam from the high-power linac accelerator. The total electron-beam power will be 20 kW, which will yield a power density on the order of 1 kW/L. The solution volume will be cooled on the front and back surfaces and central tube to mimic the geometry of the proposed SHINE solution vessel. Also, multiple thermocouples will be inserted into the solution vessel to map thermal profiles. The experimental design is now complete, and installation and testing are in progress.

• Research Organization: Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Office of Defense Nuclear Security
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-06CH11357
• OSTI ID: 1224953
• Report Number(s): ANL/CSE-14/29; 120422
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English