Electrically Driven Technologies for Radioactive Aerosol Abatement

Technical Report · Thu Jun 01 00:00:00 EDT 2000

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/833176· OSTI ID:833176

DePaoli, David W; Ezekoye, Ofodike A; Tsouris, Costas; de Almeida, Valmor F

The objective of this research program is to develop an improved understanding of how electrically driven processes, including electrocoalescence, acoustic agglomeration, and electric filtration, may be employed to efficiently treat problems caused by the formation of aerosols during DOE waste treatment operations. The production of aerosols during treatment and retrieval operations in radioactive waste tanks and during thermal treatment operations such as calcination presents a significant problem of cost, worker exposure, potential for release, and increased waste volume. Electrically driven technologies offer promise as remote technologies for improved treatment; however, existing theoretical models are not suitable for prediction and design. The basis for the project is the general fact that for most particulate collection technology, the marginal collection efficiency increases as the aerosol to be separated increases in size. Using this as a premise, we are investigating mechanisms for increasing the size of particles in an effluent stream as a preprocessing step. Our work is aimed at employing recent advances in theoretical approaches and experimental techniques to improve our understanding of how electrical and acoustic methods may be employed most efficiently alone or in tandem to tackle aerosol problems. The fundamental understanding achieved may provide the basis for development of innovative new approaches and for optimizing removal processes.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Lab., Oak Ridge, TN; University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas (US)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM) (US)
• DOE Contract Number: FG07-98ER14937
• OSTI ID: 833176
• Report Number(s): EMSP-65328-2000; R&D Project: EMSP 65328; TRN: US0406439
• Resource Relation: Other Information: PBD: 1 Jun 2000
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE WASTES, AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ACOUSTICS
AEROSOLS
AGGLOMERATION
CALCINATION
DESIGN
EFFICIENCY
FILTRATION
FORECASTING
PARTICULATES
RADIOACTIVE AEROSOLS
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
REMOVAL
RESEARCH PROGRAMS
TANKS
WASTE PROCESSING
WASTES