PREPP (Process Experimental Pilot Plant) rotary kiln seals: Problem and resolution

Conference · Mon Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1990

OSTI ID:6306168

Drexler, R L ^[1]

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1. Idaho National Engineering Lab., Idaho Falls, ID (USA)

The Process Experimental Pilot Plant (PREPP) is a facility designed to demonstrate processing of low level chemical and transuranic hazardous waste. The plant includes equipment for handling the incoming waste containers, shredding, incineration and cooling the waste, grouting the residue and scrubbing and filtration of the off gas. The process incinerator is a rotary kiln approximately 8-{1/2} ft diameter and 25 ft long with a rotary seal assembly at each end. Each seal assembly consists of a primary, secondary and tertiary seal, with a positive air pressure between primary and secondary seals to prevent out-leakage from the kiln. The kiln operates at 0.5 inch water negative pressure. From the very outset the kiln seals exhibited excessive drag which taxed the kiln drive capacity and excessive in-leakage which limited kiln temperature. An engineering evaluation concluded that the original seals supplied by the kiln vendor could not accommodate expansion and centerline shift of the kiln resulting from heatup of the kiln and its support system. A totally new concept kiln seal design has been generated to replace the (modified) original seals. This new seal system has been designed to provide a very tight long lasting seal which will accommodate the 1.5 inch axial shift and up to 1 inch radial movement of the kiln shell. Design lifetime of the seal is 10,000 operating hours between major maintenance services while maintaining an acceptable leak rate hot or cold, rotating or stopped. The design appears adaptable to any size kiln and is suitable for retrofit to existing kilns. A one-third scale prototype seal assembly is being built to verify the concept prior to construction of the 10 ft diameter seals for the PREPP rotary kiln. 4 figs.

• Research Organization: EG and G Idaho, Inc., Idaho Falls, ID (USA)
• Sponsoring Organization: DOE/NE
• DOE Contract Number: AC07-76ID01570
• OSTI ID: 6306168
• Report Number(s): EGG-M-89466; CONF-9005123-6; ON: DE91006126; TRN: 91-004747
• Resource Relation: Conference: 9. annual international symposium on the incineration of radioactive, hazardous, mixed and medical wastes: incineration conference '90, San Diego, CA (USA), 14-18 May 1990
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
INCINERATORS
SEALS
RADIOACTIVE WASTE FACILITIES
DESIGN
AIR POLLUTION CONTROL
ALPHA-BEARING WASTES
CHEMICAL WASTES
EXHAUST GASES
FILTRATION
GROUTING
HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
INSTALLATION
KILNS
LEAKS
MAINTENANCE
MATERIALS HANDLING EQUIPMENT
MODIFICATIONS
OPERATION
PERFORMANCE
RADIOACTIVE WASTE PROCESSING
SCRUBBERS
SERVICE LIFE
SHREDDERS
CONTROL
EQUIPMENT
FLUIDS
GASEOUS WASTES
GASES
MANAGEMENT
MATERIALS
NUCLEAR FACILITIES
POLLUTION CONTROL
POLLUTION CONTROL EQUIPMENT
PROCESSING
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
SEPARATION PROCESSES
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTE PROCESSING
WASTES
052001* - Nuclear Fuels- Waste Processing