A Large-Scale Demonstration Facility for Light-Water Detritiation
A Large-Scale Demonstration Facility for Light-Water Detritiation Jeremy Whitcomb June 22, 2016
EPRI International LLW Conference 2016
1
For a Cleaner Future
Irvine HDQR
Loveland, Colo. • Remote systems engineering and design office
Richland, Wash. (Main Office) • Engineering offices • GeoMelt test facility • Modular vitrification test facility • Modular Detritiation test facility (full scale)
Houston, Texas • Detritiation test facility (bench scale)
Sellafield, UK • GeoMelt® Processing Facility Manchester, UK • Regional office Abingdon, UK • Oxford Technologies, Ltd.
Tokyo, Japan • Regional office Iga, Japan • GeoMelt® Processing Facility
• Founded: 2008 • Today: 200 know-how experts and growing
Kurion Technologies KURION Technologies:
ACCESS
Modular/fast deployable solutions Significantly reduced lifecycle costs Compatible with existing site equipment
Robotics
Ion Specific Media
SEPARATE
GeoMelt Vitrification
STABILIZE 3
Tritium Removal
Modular Vitrification
Technologies That Work Together
Manipulators & Tools Access
Systems Access
Ion Specific Media® Separation
Detritiation
MVS®
GeoMelt®
Separation
Stabilization
Stabilization
Expanding Set of Discriminating Technologies via Development and Acquisition
Outline of Technology - Principles •
Applies Combined Electrolysis Catalytic Exchange (CECE) to concentrate tritium in a reduced volume of water while releasing clean hydrogen and oxygen
•
Conversion of tritiated water to gaseous tritiated hydrogen is accomplished using an electrolyzer.
•
Isotopic exchange occurs in a Liquid Phase Catalytic Exchange (LPCE) column where gaseous hydrogen flows from the column’s bottom to the top in a countercurrent mode to the liquid water which flows from top to bottom
5
CECE working principle
Outline of Technology - Advantages •
Utilizes commercially available and proven technologies, such as the PEM electrolyzer
•
Technology is modular and allows for flexible design for variety of facility sizes
•
Modular approach minimizes the number of components to be installed
6
State-of-the-Art Model of LPCE Column H2Ol
H2Ov
H2
• “Three-phase” (HTOl, HTOv, HT) model of LPCE column associated with double activity measurements at intermediate points of the LPCE column • Identify rate-limiting step in tritium removal (stripping, exchange)
S3 S2 S1
• Model includes the effect of deuterium, which is important at very high concentration factors
S0 REFERENCE: N. Bonnet, A Model-Based Conceptual Design for Large-Scale Light-Water Detritiation by Combined Electrolysis Catalytic Exchange Technology, submitted to AESJ Atomos Journal. 7
Development Steps Research Center, Richland, WA Test lab, Houston, TX
PHASE 1
(lab scale) Test 10-cm-ID column at different MFs and MRs
F = 0.1 m3/d
(7 Nm3/h electrolyzer)
PHASE 2
(prototype MDS®) Test 30-cm-ID column around selected MF and MR
F = 1.3 m3/d
(100 Nm3/h electrolyzer)
8
PHASE 3
(fully integrated MDS®) Several Resistivity -> TOC
11
Post-treatment • Tritium disposal • Tritium recycle * CD * TCAP * Thermal diffusion
Getter beds Store tritium on hydride forming material: • Uranium oxide, zirconium cobalt, titanium sponge • Safe, hydrogen desorption for T > 400ºC • Large body of work on long-term storage of tritium in getter beds • Extensive experience in facilities worldwide (Darlington, Canada; Wolsong, Korea; Savannah River National Lab; tritium lab in Karlsruhe; tritium processing lab in Tokai)
12
Taking Tritium (3H) Out of the Public Dialogue
ANI Premium Effluent Release Factors
Standards vary by country, ANI assigns tritium 20% of premium, EPA evaluating new information on effects and public debate continues in Japan 13
Tritiated Water Production in PWR normal operation Tritium produced in primary loop: …boron 10 (~75%) …lithium 6 (~25%)
Tritium annual production in PWR primary loop Reactor size – fuel burnup
Tritium production
900 MWe – 45 GWd/MT
300 Ci/year
1,300-1,450 MWe – 45 GWd/MT
700 Ci/year
1,650 MWe – 60 GWd/MT
1,350 Ci/year
(Lithine enriched from 92.5% to 99.9% 7Li)
REFERENCE: N. Bonnet et al., Model for the Production, Diffusion, and Containment of Tritium in PWRs, submitted to Fus. Sc. Tech.
Volumes of effluents to treat for PWR detritiation Tritium release reduction
Base load
Load following
25%
54,000 gal
150,000 gal
50%
111,000 gal
312,000 gal
75%
191,000 gal
553,000 gal
=> Low tritium concentrations (0.1-1 μCi/ml) 14
Integrated MDS® Conceptual Design Clean effluent
Feed
Kurion MDS®
Concentrate shipment
Post-treatment Recycle Disposal
Off site
On site
Typical values
Volume reduction factor Tritium capture factor Catalytic column height
50 – 5,000 95 – 99.5% 5 – 10 m
15
Example: MDS® Applied to PWR Effluent Typical sizing of MDS® to capture 50% of effluent tritium of base-load PWR per fuel cycle. Release ~ 0.5% 3H
420 m3
(111,000 gal)
48 MBq/L 20 TBq
Feed
MDS® Module
99.5% 3H captured
Post-treatment 3H
Shipment of 210 L(1)
3H
Recycle Storage
* Electrolyzer: 125 Nm3/h * LPCE column: 25-cm diameter 9 m height
(1) 2,000x
volume reduction
• MDS® treatment capacity: 1.6 m3/d • Electrolyzer electricity consumption is about 0.03% of power plant electrical output 16
Nuclear Power Plant Layout
• Modular • Mobilized in ISO containers • Remote Monitoring • Minimal interaction by site staff
17
Summary • Technology developed with combination of experimentation and modeling • Demonstrated ability to concentrate by 1,000 to 10,000 (more with post treatment) • Ability to process a large range of concentrations
18
QUESTIONS?
19
EPRI International LLW Conference 2016
1
For a Cleaner Future
Irvine HDQR
Loveland, Colo. • Remote systems engineering and design office
Richland, Wash. (Main Office) • Engineering offices • GeoMelt test facility • Modular vitrification test facility • Modular Detritiation test facility (full scale)
Houston, Texas • Detritiation test facility (bench scale)
Sellafield, UK • GeoMelt® Processing Facility Manchester, UK • Regional office Abingdon, UK • Oxford Technologies, Ltd.
Tokyo, Japan • Regional office Iga, Japan • GeoMelt® Processing Facility
• Founded: 2008 • Today: 200 know-how experts and growing
Kurion Technologies KURION Technologies:
ACCESS
Modular/fast deployable solutions Significantly reduced lifecycle costs Compatible with existing site equipment
Robotics
Ion Specific Media
SEPARATE
GeoMelt Vitrification
STABILIZE 3
Tritium Removal
Modular Vitrification
Technologies That Work Together
Manipulators & Tools Access
Systems Access
Ion Specific Media® Separation
Detritiation
MVS®
GeoMelt®
Separation
Stabilization
Stabilization
Expanding Set of Discriminating Technologies via Development and Acquisition
Outline of Technology - Principles •
Applies Combined Electrolysis Catalytic Exchange (CECE) to concentrate tritium in a reduced volume of water while releasing clean hydrogen and oxygen
•
Conversion of tritiated water to gaseous tritiated hydrogen is accomplished using an electrolyzer.
•
Isotopic exchange occurs in a Liquid Phase Catalytic Exchange (LPCE) column where gaseous hydrogen flows from the column’s bottom to the top in a countercurrent mode to the liquid water which flows from top to bottom
5
CECE working principle
Outline of Technology - Advantages •
Utilizes commercially available and proven technologies, such as the PEM electrolyzer
•
Technology is modular and allows for flexible design for variety of facility sizes
•
Modular approach minimizes the number of components to be installed
6
State-of-the-Art Model of LPCE Column H2Ol
H2Ov
H2
• “Three-phase” (HTOl, HTOv, HT) model of LPCE column associated with double activity measurements at intermediate points of the LPCE column • Identify rate-limiting step in tritium removal (stripping, exchange)
S3 S2 S1
• Model includes the effect of deuterium, which is important at very high concentration factors
S0 REFERENCE: N. Bonnet, A Model-Based Conceptual Design for Large-Scale Light-Water Detritiation by Combined Electrolysis Catalytic Exchange Technology, submitted to AESJ Atomos Journal. 7
Development Steps Research Center, Richland, WA Test lab, Houston, TX
PHASE 1
(lab scale) Test 10-cm-ID column at different MFs and MRs
F = 0.1 m3/d
(7 Nm3/h electrolyzer)
PHASE 2
(prototype MDS®) Test 30-cm-ID column around selected MF and MR
F = 1.3 m3/d
(100 Nm3/h electrolyzer)
8
PHASE 3
(fully integrated MDS®) Several Resistivity -> TOC
11
Post-treatment • Tritium disposal • Tritium recycle * CD * TCAP * Thermal diffusion
Getter beds Store tritium on hydride forming material: • Uranium oxide, zirconium cobalt, titanium sponge • Safe, hydrogen desorption for T > 400ºC • Large body of work on long-term storage of tritium in getter beds • Extensive experience in facilities worldwide (Darlington, Canada; Wolsong, Korea; Savannah River National Lab; tritium lab in Karlsruhe; tritium processing lab in Tokai)
12
Taking Tritium (3H) Out of the Public Dialogue
ANI Premium Effluent Release Factors
Standards vary by country, ANI assigns tritium 20% of premium, EPA evaluating new information on effects and public debate continues in Japan 13
Tritiated Water Production in PWR normal operation Tritium produced in primary loop: …boron 10 (~75%) …lithium 6 (~25%)
Tritium annual production in PWR primary loop Reactor size – fuel burnup
Tritium production
900 MWe – 45 GWd/MT
300 Ci/year
1,300-1,450 MWe – 45 GWd/MT
700 Ci/year
1,650 MWe – 60 GWd/MT
1,350 Ci/year
(Lithine enriched from 92.5% to 99.9% 7Li)
REFERENCE: N. Bonnet et al., Model for the Production, Diffusion, and Containment of Tritium in PWRs, submitted to Fus. Sc. Tech.
Volumes of effluents to treat for PWR detritiation Tritium release reduction
Base load
Load following
25%
54,000 gal
150,000 gal
50%
111,000 gal
312,000 gal
75%
191,000 gal
553,000 gal
=> Low tritium concentrations (0.1-1 μCi/ml) 14
Integrated MDS® Conceptual Design Clean effluent
Feed
Kurion MDS®
Concentrate shipment
Post-treatment Recycle Disposal
Off site
On site
Typical values
Volume reduction factor Tritium capture factor Catalytic column height
50 – 5,000 95 – 99.5% 5 – 10 m
15
Example: MDS® Applied to PWR Effluent Typical sizing of MDS® to capture 50% of effluent tritium of base-load PWR per fuel cycle. Release ~ 0.5% 3H
420 m3
(111,000 gal)
48 MBq/L 20 TBq
Feed
MDS® Module
99.5% 3H captured
Post-treatment 3H
Shipment of 210 L(1)
3H
Recycle Storage
* Electrolyzer: 125 Nm3/h * LPCE column: 25-cm diameter 9 m height
(1) 2,000x
volume reduction
• MDS® treatment capacity: 1.6 m3/d • Electrolyzer electricity consumption is about 0.03% of power plant electrical output 16
Nuclear Power Plant Layout
• Modular • Mobilized in ISO containers • Remote Monitoring • Minimal interaction by site staff
17
Summary • Technology developed with combination of experimentation and modeling • Demonstrated ability to concentrate by 1,000 to 10,000 (more with post treatment) • Ability to process a large range of concentrations
18
QUESTIONS?
19
