RU2854695C1 - Container for ion exchange resins - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: transport industry.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to a transport container for spent ion exchange resins (SIR) and can be used in nuclear power for transporting and processing SIR and fine-grained bulk radioactive waste (RAW) and materials. The container is equipped with a ring perforated collector placed in the lower part of the container and equipped with a pipeline for supplying compressed air and/or water with the possibility of bubbling the resin with compressed air. The water discharge unit is a pipeline installed along the entire height of the container and equipped at the lower part with a slot filter. The ratio of the lengths of the water discharge unit pipeline and the slot filter is in the range from 4/1 to 9/1. The resin discharge unit is equipped with a pipeline, the suction of which is placed in the centre of the container directly at the bottom and equidistant from the ring collector.

EFFECT: increasing the efficiency of using the SIR container by increasing the degree of filling the container volume with SIR during its loading with minimisation of the remaining transport water in the container, as well as increasing the speed of discharge of transport water and resin from the container.

3 cl, 5 dwg

Description

The invention relates to the field of nuclear energy and can be used at nuclear energy facilities (NEFs) in the system for transporting and processing radioactive spent ion-exchange resins (SIERs) and finely dispersed bulk radioactive waste (RAW) and materials.

The invention is a transport container for slurry (transport water/resin) intended for transporting and handling slurry (transport water/resin) during technological operations at nuclear power plants.

A transport container for the irrigated biological waste is known, which includes a sealed tank for the irrigated biological waste, installed on a shielding tank of biological protection, a connection kit and a control cabinet, the listed equipment is installed on the frame of the transport container, unloading and bubbling of the irrigated biological waste are carried out by compressed air, the design of the sealed tank is made with an upper location of the flange connector, a slotted cartridge filter and a slotted bubbling bottom are used, an electric-driven mechanical stirrer with a magnetic clutch is installed, a shielding tank of a localizing type with a damping device is used (patent RU 2722919 (Russia) // IPC G21F 5/00, 05/27/2019).

The disadvantages of the device include a reduced container working volume due to the use of a bubbling bottom, which reduces the volume of waste resin that can be stored in the container. Also, the incomplete removal of transport water from the container results in a significant volume of the tank being filled with liquid rather than resin. This reduces the efficiency of the container's working space and increases the time and cost of transporting waste resin.

The objective of the claimed technical solution is to increase the degree of filling of the container with wastewater during loading, to minimize the amount of transport water remaining in the container during its movement, to increase the speed of unloading transport water and resin from the container, as well as to increase the efficiency of container use and reduce the costs of transporting wastewater.

The claimed device increases the working volume of the wastewater treatment plant container by eliminating the bubbling bottom. The wastewater treatment plant volume is loosened (bubbling) by means of an annular perforated manifold located in the lower part of the container. The perforation can be implemented in the form of round holes or slits. The annular perforated manifold can be used for hydraulic flushing and water saturation of the wastewater treatment plant volume. The container is filled with an aqueous suspension of wastewater treatment plant (resin/water) by pumping units in the pumping mode through the container with a resin/water ratio of 1/2-1/10. The pumping time for the wastewater treatment plant is determined by the requirement to fill the sealed container with an aqueous suspension of wastewater treatment plant (resin/water) in a ratio of 1/(0.1-0.2). The specified volume of wastewater treatment plant in the sealed container is monitored using a level gauge. The wastewater treatment plant container ensures filtration and sedimentation of the received wastewater treatment plant in a specified volume.

Unlike the transport container (patent RU 2722919), the proposed container is equipped with an annular perforated manifold 5 (Fig. 1 and Fig. 2) located in the lower part of the container and equipped with a pipeline for supplying compressed air (10) and/or water (11), wherein the manifold can be used for supplying both compressed air and water. This makes it possible to combine the functions of resin bubbling with compressed air (10) with resin loosening due to hydrowashing with water (11) and water saturation of the resin volume during its unloading. The water unloading unit is a pipeline 6 (Fig. 3) installed along the entire height of the container and equipped with a slotted filter 7 in the lower part. The ratio of the pipeline lengths of the transport water unloading unit and the slotted filter is in the range from 4/1 to 9/1. Such equipment of the transport water unloading unit makes it possible to remove the liquid phase from the container as much as possible. This increases the fill rate of the OIOS container. The resin unloading unit is equipped with pipeline 8 (Fig. 4), the suction of which is located in the center of container 1, directly at the bottom and equidistant from the annular manifold 5 (Fig. 5). This intensifies the resin unloading process by directing the movement of resin particles toward the unloading unit's suction port using a flow of compressed air or water directed in the suction direction.

The advantages of using a ring perforated collector are as follows:

- increasing the working volume of the container for placing the waste material by eliminating the false slotted bubbling bottom;

- combination of operations of bubbling the volume of the EIOS with compressed air, loosening and saturating the resin with water flow;

- intensification of resin unloading due to the directed action (transfer) of the flow of compressed air or water to the suction.

The advantages of using a transport water discharge unit, designed as a pipeline with a slotted filter at the bottom, with the ratio of the pipeline and slotted filter lengths being in the range from 4/1 to 9/1, in the proposed container are as follows:

- maximum removal of transport water from the container;

- reduction of hydraulic resistance;

- maximum release of container volume for resin placement;

- increasing the efficiency of container use and the process of transporting wastewater and operating costs by minimizing the remaining volumes of transport water in the container before transportation.

The advantages of using a resin unloading unit, represented by a pipeline, the suction of which is located in the center of the container directly at the bottom and equidistant from the ring collector, are as follows:

- increasing the efficiency of resin unloading from the container due to its placement in the center of the container at the lowest point of its bottom;

- reduction of hydraulic resistance.

Container 1 is loaded with an aqueous suspension of the wastewater treatment plant (resin/water) by pumping units in the pumping mode through container 1 into a sealed vessel 2, with biological protection provided by shielding element 9. Concurrently, transport water is unloaded through pipeline 6 of the unloading unit by supplying compressed air to container 1 and creating a vacuum in pipeline 6. The resin level in the container is determined by level sensors. Once the level of the wastewater treatment plant in container 1 reaches the design set level, the suspension supply is stopped. Additional transport water is removed from container 1 by compressed air and creating a vacuum in pipeline 6 of the water unloading unit. After container 1 has been transported to the unloading location, pipeline system 3 of container 1 is connected to the stationary systems for supplying compressed air and water, receiving the wastewater treatment plant, and separating the transport water. Before unloading the resin, the resin is first bubbled with compressed air 10 through the annular perforated manifold 5. If the resin cannot be loosened by compressed air 10, water 11 is supplied through the manifold to hydraulically flush and saturate the resin. The process of loosening the resin is intensified by the use of agitator 4. After bubbling and/or saturation of the resin, the resin is unloaded by injecting compressed air into the upper portion of sealed vessel 2 into container 1.

During the OIOS unloading operation, the process is activated by using a mixer 4 (Fig. 1), supplying compressed air 10 or water 11 through a perforated annular manifold 5. The change in the suspension level (resin/water) is recorded by level sensors.

To increase the efficiency of unloading wastewater and transport water from container 1, the resin and transport water unloading units are equipped with airlifts.

To further intensify the unloading of wastewater and transport water from container 1, the resin and transport water unloading units are equipped with ejectors installed on the container body.

The advantages of using the proposed container design and OIOS handling technology are as follows:

- the installation of a ring perforated collector directly at the bottom of the container allows for increasing the working volume of the container for placing wastewater treatment plants;

- the use of a perforated annular collector allows combining the operations of bubbling the volume of the EIOS with compressed air, hydraulic washing and saturation of the resin with water;

- the use of a ring perforated collector allows to increase the efficiency and speed of resin unloading from the container;

- the use of a transport water discharge unit in the form of a pipeline with a slotted filter at the bottom allows for the maximum possible removal of transport water from the container, freeing up space for placing water, and also increasing the intensity and efficiency of transportation;

- the placement of the resin unloading unit, located in the center at an equal distance from the collector, allows for an increase in the completeness and speed of resin unloading;

- creating a vacuum in the resin and transport water unloading units allows for the unloading process to be intensified.

The invention is explained by the following drawings, shown in Fig. 1÷4:

Fig. 1 - container for OIOS;

Fig. 2 - annular perforated collector;

Fig. 3 - transport water unloading unit;

Fig. 4 - OIOS unloading unit.

Claims (3)

1. A transport container for transporting spent ion-exchange resins (SIER) consisting of a sealed tank equipped with a slotted filter, a slotted bubbling bottom and a mixer; a connection kit and a control cabinet; the SIER is unloaded and bubbling from the container using compressed air, characterized in that a perforated annular collector is installed in the lower part of the container for loosening and/or saturating the SIER with water; the water unloading unit is a pipeline installed along the entire height of the container and equipped with a slotted filter in the lower part, wherein the ratio of the lengths of the pipeline and the slotted filter is in the range from 4/1 to 9/1; the resin unloading unit is equipped with a pipeline, the suction of which is located in the center of the container directly at the bottom and equidistant from the annular collector; when unloading water and resin from the container, a vacuum is created in the unloading units. 2. A transport container according to paragraph 1, characterized in that the resin and transport water unloading units are equipped with airlifts. 3. A transport container according to paragraph 1, characterized in that the resin and transport water unloading units are equipped with ejectors installed on the container body.