Fuel steps

Figure 10.29 shows the principal steps in applying the Purex process to irradiated LMFBR fuel, step 7 of Fig. 10.28. The flow scheme and the compositions and locations of solvent, scrubbing, and stripping streams have been taken from the process flow sheet of a 1978 Oak Ridge report [Oil] describing a planned experimental reprocessing facility designed for 0.5 MT of uranium-plutonium fuel or 0.2 MT of uranium-plutonium-thoiium fuel per day. As that report gave process flow rates only for the uranium-plutonium-thorium fuel. Fig. 10.29 does not give flow rates for the uranium-plutonium fuel of present interest. This flow sheet shows the codecontamination step, in which flssion products are separated from uranium and plutonium the partitioning step, which produces an aqueous stream of partially decontaminated...

Step 1 specifies that, for each DBE, classify as "safety-related" those design selections chosen for compliance with the lOCFRlOO region dose criteria. More specifically, for each DBE, various functions can be identified which must be performed if the consequences of the event are to remain within those allowed by the dose criteria. For the Standard HHTGR, these functions, as discussed previously in Section 3.2.2, are the retention of radionuclides in the fuel and, to maintain the fuel within its design conditions to assure such retention, the removal of core heat, control of the core heat generation rate, and prevention of chemical attack on the fuel. Step 1 requires that a set of SSCs which are capable of performing these functions for all DBEs for which they are required be classified as "safety-related."... 

Other heavy fuel contaminants are metals (vanadium, nickel, sodium) coming from the crude oil itself or metallic salts (aluminum silicates) coming from catalysts in conversion steps. The aluminum silicates should not exceed 300 ppm (30 ppm of aluminum), for these materials exert a strong abrasive action on the engine cylinders and injection systems. They can however be eliminated partially by centrifuging and filtration. 

Hydrogen sulfide concentrates in refinery off gases. Before being used as fuel gas, the gas undergoes an amine (MEA, DEA, etc.) washing step in order to extract the H2S. 

Steps. Thermal-swing cycles have at least two steps, adsorption and heating. A cooling step is also normally used after the heating step. A portion of the feed or product stream can be utilized for heating, or an independent fluid can be used. Easily condensable contaminants may be regenerated with noncondensable gases and recovered by condensation. Water-iminiscible solvents are stripped with steam, which may be condensed and separated from the solvent by decantation. Fuel and/or air may be used when the impurities are to be burned or incinerated. 

Steps such as the substitution of low sulfur fuels or nonvolatile solvents, change of taw materials, lowering of operation temperatures to reduce NO formation or vo1ati1i2ation of process material, and instaHion of weU-designed hoods (31—37) at emission points to effectively reduce the air quantity needed for pollutant capture are illustrations of the above principles. 

Another use is in various extraction and absorption processes for the purification of acetylene or butadiene and for separation of aHphatic hydrocarbons, which have limited solubiHty in DMF, from aromatic hydrocarbons. DMF has also been used to recover CO2 from flue gases. Because of the high solubiHty of SO2 iu DMF, this method can even be used for exhaust streams from processes using high sulfur fuels. The CO2 is not contaminated with sulfur-containing impurities, which are recovered from the DMF in a separate step (29). 

Indirect Hquefaction of coal and conversion of natural gas to synthetic Hquid fuels is defined by technology that involves an intermediate step to generate synthesis gas, CO +. The main reactions involved in the generation of synthesis gas are the coal gasification m2LC ions Combustion... 

Fuel. Natural gas is used as a primary fuel and source of heat energy throughout the iadustrialized countries for a broad range of residential, commercial, and iadustrial appHcations. The methane and other hydrocarbons react readily with oxygen to release heat by forming carbon dioxide and water through a series of kinetic steps that results ia the overall reaction,... 

Partial oxidation of heavy Hquid hydrocarbons requires somewhat simpler environmental controls. The principal source of particulates is carbon, or soot, formed by the high temperature of the oxidation step. The soot is scmbbed from the raw synthesis gas and either recycled back to the gasifier, or recovered as soHd peUetized fuel. Sulfur and condensate treatment is similar in principle to that required for coal gasification, although the amounts of potential poUutants generated are usually less. 

Uranium. The uranium product from the PUREX process is in the form of uranyl nitrate which must be converted to some other chemical depending on anticipated use. One route to MO fuel is to mix uranium and plutonium nitrates and perform a coprecipitation step. The precipitate is... 

When reactor-grade plutonium is left in spent fuel, the large size of the fuel assembhes and the lethal radiation fields make it extremely difficult to divert the material covertly. Once the reactor-grade plutonium is separated in the commercial reprocessing option, however, the radiation barrier is almost eliminated, and in certain steps of the process the plutonium is in powder or Hquid form, which is much more easily diverted than large, bulky fuel... 

Methyl tert-Butylluther Methyl /-butyl ether (MTBE) is an increasingly important fuel additive. Platinum—tin and other PGM catalysts are used for the dehydrogenation of isobutane to isobutene, an intermediate step in MTBE manufacture. 

In this process, uranium metal is electrodeposited at the cathode, while plutonium and other transuranium elements remain in the molten salt as trichlorides. Plutonium is reduced in a second step at a metallic cathode to produce Cd—Pu intermetallics. The refined plutonium and uranium metals can then be refabricated into metallic fuel (137). 

Fossil Fuel-Fired Plants. In modem, fossil fuel-fired power plants, the Rankine cycle typically operates as a closed loop. In describing the steam—water cycle of a modem Rankine cycle plant, it is easiest to start with the condensate system (see Fig. 1). Condensate is the water that remains after the steam employed by the plant s steam turbines exhausts into the plant s condenser, where it is collected for reuse in the cycle. Many modem power plants employ a series of heat exchangers to boost efficiency. As a first step, the condensate is heated in a series of heat exchangers, usually sheU-and-tube heat exchangers, by steam extracted from strategic locations on the plant s steam turbines (see HeaT-EXCHANGETECHNOLOGy). 

Checking Against Optimum Design. This attempts to answer the question whether a balance needs to be as it is. The first thing to compare against is the best current practice. Information is available ia the Hterature (13) for large-volume chemicals such as NH, CH OH, urea, and ethylene. The second step is to look for obvious violations of good practice on iadividual pieces of equipment. Examples of violations are stack temperatures > 150° C process streams > 120° C, cooled by air or water process streams > 65° C, heated by steam t/ urbine 65% reflux ratio > 1.15 times minimum and excess air > 10% on clean fuels. 

Thermal decomposition of spent acids, eg, sulfuric acid, is required as an intermediate step at temperatures sufficientiy high to completely consume the organic contaminants by combustion temperatures above 1000°C are required. Concentrated acid can be made from the sulfur oxides. Spent acid is sprayed into a vertical combustion chamber, where the energy required to heat and vaporize the feed and support these endothermic reactions is suppHed by complete combustion of fuel oil plus added sulfur, if further acid production is desired. High feed rates of up to 30 t/d of uniform spent acid droplets are attained with a single rotary atomizer and decomposition rates of ca 400 t/d are possible (98). 

---