Iodine recovery apparatus and method

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to an iodine recovery apparatus and an iodine recovery method that effectively recover iodine in a liquefied state. The iodine recovery apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure can include a condenser that separates into liquid iodine and gas by cooling a reactor exhaust gas, a liquid iodine recovery part connected to a lower portion of the condenser to recover the separated liquid iodine, a gas discharge part connected to an upper portion of the condenser to discharge the separated gas, a desublimator connected to the gas discharge part, and a recirculation line that resupplies liquid iodine recovered in the desublimator to the condenser.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to an iodine recovery apparatus and method, specifically an iodine recovery apparatus and method utilizing iodine liquefaction. Background Technology

[0002] Iodine, as a high-value-added substance used in various chemical processes, requires technologies to effectively recover the iodine contained in the waste gas after the reaction.

[0003] Previously, a process was used to recover iodine by de-sublimation from its gaseous state. However, this method requires a large cooling load and also increases the size of the equipment. In addition, iodine recovered in solid form consumes a lot of energy when reheated, resulting in low thermal efficiency. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Technical problems to be solved

[0005] This disclosure provides an iodine recovery apparatus and method for efficiently recovering iodine in a liquefied state.

[0006] Technical solution

[0007] An iodine recovery apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include: a condenser that cools reactor exhaust gas to separate it into liquid iodine and gas; a liquid iodine recovery unit connected to the lower part of the condenser for recovering the separated liquid iodine; a gas discharge unit connected to the upper part of the condenser for discharging the separated gas; a desublimator connected to the gas discharge unit; and a recirculation line that resupplyes the liquid iodine recovered in the desublimator to the condenser.

[0008] According to one embodiment, the interior of the condenser may be formed with a packing section containing multiple packing materials, which allows the reactor exhaust gas to come into contact with liquid iodine supplied through the recirculation line.

[0009] According to one embodiment, the filling portion may be disposed at the center of the condenser and configured to be spaced apart from the inner wall of the condenser.

[0010] According to one embodiment, inside the condenser, a baffle is provided vertically adjacent to the filling section. The baffle can be configured to divide the area where liquid iodine accumulates inside the condenser from the area where the gas stays before being discharged through the gas discharge section.

[0011] According to one embodiment, the baffle extends downward from the upper part of the interior of the condenser and can form a lower space separated from the bottom region of the condenser.

[0012] According to one embodiment, the iodine recovery device may include: a chimney tray formed on the upper part of the condenser to capture condensed liquid iodine; and a downcomer to guide the liquid iodine captured in the chimney tray to the bottom region of the condenser.

[0013] According to one embodiment, the liquid iodine recovery unit may include a liquid iodine discharge port connected to the bottom region of the condenser.

[0014] According to one embodiment, the gas discharge section may include a gas discharge port formed on the upper side of the condenser.

[0015] According to one embodiment, the sublimator can recover residual iodine in the gas supplied from the gas emission section in liquid form and supply it to the recirculation line.

[0016] According to one embodiment, the above-mentioned recirculation line can be configured as a pipe connecting the lower discharge port of the condenser and the upper inlet of the condenser.

[0017] An iodine recovery method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include: a step of cooling reactor exhaust gas in a condenser to separate it into liquid iodine and gas; a step of recovering the separated liquid iodine through a liquid iodine recovery section connected to the lower part of the condenser; a step of discharging the separated gas through a gas discharge section connected to the upper part of the condenser; a step of recovering the iodine remaining in the gas in liquid form in a sublimator connected to the gas discharge section; and a step of resupplying the liquid iodine recovered in the sublimator to the condenser through a recirculation line.

[0018] According to one embodiment, the step of cooling reactor exhaust gas in a condenser to separate it into liquid iodine and gas may include: contacting the reactor exhaust gas with liquid iodine supplied through the recirculation line by means of a packing section containing a plurality of packing materials formed inside the condenser.

[0019] According to one embodiment, the method may include: inside the condenser, a baffle is vertically disposed adjacent to the filling section to divide the area where liquid iodine accumulates inside the condenser from the area where the gas remains before being discharged through the gas discharge section.

[0020] According to one embodiment, the process may include: the partition extending from the upper part of the interior of the condenser downward to provide a lower space separated from the bottom region of the condenser, so that the gas flows through the lower space of the partition to the gas discharge section.

[0021] According to one embodiment, the step of recovering the separated liquid iodine through a liquid iodine recovery section connected to the lower part of the condenser may include the step of discharging the liquid iodine through a liquid iodine discharge port formed in the bottom region of the condenser.

[0022] According to one embodiment, the step of resupplying the liquid iodine recovered in the sublimator to the condenser via a recirculation line may include: supplying the liquid iodine to the filling section by connecting the recirculation line to the lower discharge port of the sublimator and the upper inlet of the condenser.

[0023] According to one embodiment, the upper part of the condenser is formed with a chimney tray for capturing condensed liquid iodine, and the iodine recovery method may include the step of guiding the liquid iodine captured in the chimney tray to the bottom region of the condenser and discharging it through a downcomer.

[0024] Technical effect

[0025] According to one embodiment of this disclosure, iodine can be effectively recovered and the burden on back-end devices can be reduced by liquefying and recycling iodine.

[0026] In addition, according to one embodiment of this disclosure, since the iodine recovered in the condenser is in liquid form, it is easier to store and transport than iodine recovered in solid form, and can be directly supplied to the recycling process for use. Attached Figure Description

[0027] Figure 1 A schematic diagram illustrating the iodine recovery and recycling process flow according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0028] Figure 2 A schematic diagram illustrating the structure of a condenser in an iodine recovery apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0029] Figure 3 A flowchart illustrating an iodine recovery method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is provided. Detailed Implementation

[0030] The present disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, this is merely exemplary and the present disclosure is not limited to the specific embodiments described herein.

[0031] While terms such as "first," "second," etc., are used to describe a variety of elements, components, and / or parts, it is self-evident that these elements, components, and / or parts are not limited to these terms. These terms are used only to distinguish one element, component, or part from other elements, components, or parts. Therefore, it is self-evident that the first element, first component, or first part described below may also be a second element, second component, or second part within the scope of the technical concept of this disclosure.

[0032] The terminology used in this specification is intended to describe embodiments and not to limit the disclosure. In this specification, the singular forms include the plural forms unless otherwise specified. The use of "comprises" and / or "made of" in this specification to refer to components, steps, operations, and / or elements does not preclude the presence or addition of more than one other component, step, operation, and / or element.

[0033] Unless otherwise defined, all terms used in this specification (including technical and scientific terms) shall be used in the sense that would be commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure pertains. Furthermore, terms defined in commonly used dictionaries shall not be idealized or over-interpreted unless explicitly defined otherwise.

[0034] This disclosure relates to an iodine recovery apparatus for liquefying and recovering iodine vapor contained in reactor exhaust gas.

[0035] The reactor exhaust gas contains iodine vapor and non-condensable gas. By supplying the reactor exhaust gas to a condenser for cooling, the reactor exhaust gas can be separated into liquid iodine and gas.

[0036] At this point, it is preferable to maintain a sufficient pressure inside the condenser to allow iodine to liquefy (e.g., 4 kg / cm²). 2 g) and lower temperatures at which iodine no longer vaporizes (e.g., below 160°C).

[0037] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the iodine recovery and recycling process flow according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the structure of the condenser in an iodine recovery apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0038] like Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, the iodine recovery apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes: a condenser 100, which cools reactor exhaust gas to separate it into liquid iodine and gas; a liquid iodine recovery unit 200, connected to the lower part of the condenser 100, for recovering the separated liquid iodine; a gas discharge unit 300, connected to the upper part of the condenser 100, for discharging the separated gas; a desublimator 400, connected to the gas discharge unit 300; and a recirculation line 500, which resupply the liquid iodine recovered in the desublimator 400 to the condenser 100.

[0039] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the condenser 100 receives the supplied reactor exhaust gas and cools it to convert iodine vapor in the exhaust gas into liquid iodine and separate non-condensable gases.

[0040] According to one embodiment, the interior of the condenser 100 is maintained at a pressure that allows iodine to be stably liquefied, for example, approximately 4 kg / cm². 2 g, while maintaining a temperature below approximately 160°C to prevent iodine from revaporizing.

[0041] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the interior of the condenser 100 may be formed with a packing section 120 containing a plurality of packing materials to bring reactor exhaust gas into contact with liquid iodine supplied through the recirculation line 500.

[0042] According to one embodiment of this disclosure, a packing section 120 may be formed inside the condenser 100. The packing section 120 may include a plurality of packing materials for contacting and exchanging heat between reactor exhaust gas and liquid iodine supplied through the recirculation line 500.

[0043] According to one embodiment of this disclosure, the filling portion 120 is typically disposed at the center of the condenser 100 and can be configured to maintain a certain distance from the inner wall of the condenser 100. That is, it can be configured to provide sufficient space for the gas flow to collide and contact with the liquid flow. Such a filling portion 120 allows gas to pass vertically while contacting multiple filling material surfaces, thereby increasing the contact area and facilitating heat exchange as liquid iodine disperses and flows along the filling material.

[0044] According to one embodiment of this disclosure, the filling portion 120 can be composed of filling materials of various shapes and materials. For example, annular filling materials, square grid filling materials, amorphous filling materials, etc., made of metal, ceramic, or plastic materials can be used. Such filling materials can increase the contact between gas and liquid through multiple surfaces and promote the condensation of iodine vapor.

[0045] See Figure 2According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the filling section 120 may be configured on a channel in which gas flows from the upper part of the condenser 100 to the lower part, and on a channel in which liquid iodine supplied from the recirculation line 500 disperses from the upper part and flows along the surface of the filling material.

[0046] Thus, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the filling section 120 is designed to effectively exchange heat between the reactor exhaust gas and the recirculated liquid iodine, thereby extending the time that the gas remains inside the condenser 100 and comes into contact with the liquid iodine.

[0047] According to one embodiment of this disclosure, the filling section 120 operates under a pressure of about 4 kg / cm²g and a temperature of about 160°C or below, and liquid iodine supplied by the recirculation line 500 disperses from the upper part, flows along the filling material, and contacts the reactor exhaust gas.

[0048] Therefore, according to one embodiment of this disclosure, the contact area between the reactor exhaust gas and the recirculated liquid iodine is increased, thereby improving the condensation efficiency of iodine vapor and enabling the effective recovery of residual iodine in the gas.

[0049] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the filling portion 120 may be disposed at the center of the condenser 100 and configured to be spaced apart from the inner wall of the condenser 100.

[0050] The filling portion 120 can be configured to be separated from the inner wall of the condenser 100 by a certain interval. This separation configuration guides the gas to pass effectively through the filling portion 120 inside the condenser 100, and the gap formed between the inner wall of the condenser 100 and the filling portion 120 can stably maintain the flow of gas and liquid.

[0051] That is, when a certain interval flow path is formed between the outer periphery of the packing section and the inner wall of the condenser, the reactor exhaust gas does not simply pass through the packing section in a straight line. Instead, a portion of the fluid flows along the outer periphery flow path and merges again to the packing section side. This makes the flow uniformly dispersed, thereby allowing the entire area of ​​the packing section to be used evenly, reducing local velocity concentrations or dead zones.

[0052] As one embodiment of this disclosure, when the condenser 100 has a cylindrical structure of a certain diameter inside, a flow path with a certain interval can be formed between the outer periphery of the filling portion 120 and the inner wall of the condenser 100. With this configuration, the reactor exhaust gas supplied from the top of the condenser 100 undergoes heat exchange when passing through the multiple filling materials formed in the filling portion 120, and the contact time between the liquid iodine flowing downward inside the condenser 100 and the gas can be extended.

[0053] Thus, according to one embodiment of this disclosure, the filling portion 120 is disposed in the center of the condenser 100 and is separated from the inner wall. Therefore, when the reactor exhaust gas passes through the filling portion 120, the contact area between the gas and the liquid is increased, improving the condensation efficiency of iodine vapor and enabling more effective conversion of residual iodine in the gas into liquid. As a result, the iodine recovery rate can be improved.

[0054] Inside a condenser 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a baffle 130 is provided perpendicularly (in the direction from the top to the bottom of the condenser) to the filling section 120, thereby dividing the area A inside the condenser 100 where liquid iodine accumulates and the area B where the gas stays before being discharged through the gas discharge section 300.

[0055] The aforementioned baffle 130 can be disposed adjacent to the aforementioned filling portion 120 throughout the entire flow path inside the condenser 100. The aforementioned baffle 130 extends elongatedly in the vertical direction, which can divide the internal space of the condenser 100 into two distinct regions.

[0056] The aforementioned baffle 130 may be vertically arranged adjacent to the aforementioned filling section 120. The aforementioned filling section 120 contains a plurality of filling materials and is the area where the reactor exhaust gas comes into contact with the liquid iodine supplied through the recirculation line 500. The aforementioned baffle 130 is arranged near this area to limit the path of the gas passing through the filling section 120 and staying inside the condenser 100.

[0057] See Figure 2 The aforementioned partition 130 can be formed as a flat plate or a curved plate between the outer side of the filling part 120 and the inner wall of the condenser 100, and can be formed elongated in the vertical direction.

[0058] By setting the aforementioned baffle 130, the interior of the condenser 100 can be divided into two regions. The first region is region A, where liquid iodine is generated, and the second region is region B, where the residual gas after heat exchange (uncondensed non-condensable gas) remains before being discharged through the gas discharge section 300. Region A, where liquid iodine is generated, refers to the region where liquid iodine temporarily resides immediately after condensation (or immediately after heat exchange). The baffle 130 physically divides these two regions to ensure that the reactor exhaust gas is sufficiently retained and in contact with the liquid iodine. Thus, after temporarily residing in region A, the liquid iodine can stably accumulate in the bottom region 140, and the remaining gas can be discharged through the gas discharge section 300.

[0059] In a specific embodiment, the baffle 130 inside the condenser 100 is vertically arranged from the top to the bottom of the condenser 100, and a certain gap is formed between the baffle 130 and the bottom of the condenser 100, so that uncondensed non-condensable gas passes through the lower space 132 and flows to the gas discharge section 300. For example, the baffle 130 is vertically arranged outside the filling section 120, and a space is maintained between the lower part of the baffle 130 and the bottom region 140 to maintain gas flow.

[0060] The baffle 130 configured in this way prevents the gas (reactor exhaust gas) from being discharged in an uncondensed state inside the condenser 100, and allows liquid iodine to be stably collected in region A to the bottom region 140 of the condenser 100.

[0061] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the upper part of the condenser 100 is formed with a chimney tray 150 for capturing condensed liquid iodine, and may include a downcomer 160 for guiding the liquid iodine captured to the chimney tray 150 to the bottom region 140 of the condenser 100.

[0062] According to one embodiment of this disclosure, a chimney tray 150 may be formed on the upper part of the condenser 100. The chimney tray 150 is located in the upper part inside the condenser 100 and can temporarily capture liquid iodine condensed during the cooling of the reactor exhaust gas.

[0063] According to one embodiment of this disclosure, the interior of the condenser may include a downcomer 160 that guides liquid iodine captured in the chimney tray 150 to the bottom region 140 of the condenser 100. The downcomer 160, as a tubular structure attached to the chimney tray 150 and extending downwards, allows liquid iodine captured in the upper part of the chimney tray 150 to move towards gravity and be guided to the bottom region 140 of the condenser 100.

[0064] The bottom region 140 is the space from the bottom surface of the condenser 100 to a certain height, which serves as the area for storing and discharging the recovered liquid iodine. It refers to the lower storage space where the liquid iodine accumulated inside the partition 130 of the condenser 100 is finally stored.

[0065] The downcomer 160 is connected to the bottom surface of the chimney tray 150, allowing liquid iodine to move rapidly downwards instead of remaining in the upper part of the chimney tray. This prevents liquid iodine from remaining in the upper region for an extended period and re-vaporizing, and allows it to accumulate stably in the lower region (bottom region).

[0066] According to one embodiment of this disclosure, the chimney tray 150 can be formed of a metal with corrosion resistance and heat resistance, such as stainless steel. Furthermore, multiple through holes are formed at equal intervals, with diameters ranging from several millimeters to tens of millimeters. More than one downcomer 160 can be provided on each chimney tray 150, configured to correspond to the arrangement of the chimney trays 150, and its diameter can be approximately several centimeters.

[0067] Thus, according to one embodiment of this disclosure, liquid iodine condensed inside the condenser 100, including the chimney tray 150 and the downcomer 160, will not remain in the upper region but will quickly accumulate in the bottom region 140, thereby enabling stable recovery by the liquid iodine recovery unit 200.

[0068] In addition, only the pure gas that has passed through the chimney tray 150 is transported to the filling section 120 and exchanged with the recirculated cooled iodine, thereby improving the iodine recovery rate.

[0069] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a liquid iodine recovery unit 200 is connected to the lower part of a condenser 100, and serves to discharge and recover liquid iodine separated inside the condenser 100.

[0070] The liquid iodine recovery unit 200 described above may be integrated into the lower part of the condenser 100 to stably recover liquid iodine separated in the condenser 100 to the outside. The liquid iodine recovery unit 200 may include a liquid iodine discharge port 220 for guiding liquid iodine accumulated in the bottom region 140 inside the condenser 100 to the outside. The liquid iodine discharge port 220 may be integrally formed with the condenser 100 or connected to the bottom region 140 of the condenser 100 via a separate pipe.

[0071] The bottom region 140 of the condenser 100 serves as the storage area for liquid iodine within the condenser 100. It has a structure where liquid iodine, separated from the partition plate 130 via the filling section 120, naturally accumulates due to gravity. A liquid iodine discharge port 220 is formed in the bottom region 140, allowing the internal liquid iodine to be discharged to the outside. This liquid iodine discharge port 220, as part of the liquid iodine recovery section 200, can be directly connected to the lower part of the condenser 100.

[0072] According to one embodiment of this disclosure, the liquid iodine discharge port 220 may be formed of a metal material with excellent heat resistance and corrosion resistance, and may be directly connected to the bottom region 140 of the condenser 100. The diameter of the liquid iodine discharge port 220 may be designed according to the liquid iodine flow rate required in the actual process. In addition, the liquid iodine discharge port 220 may include a valve or flow regulator, thereby enabling the recovery of liquid iodine to an external storage unit.

[0073] By including the liquid iodine recovery unit 200 as described above, the liquid iodine separated in the condenser 100 can be immediately guided from the bottom region 140 to the outside. This prevents the liquid iodine from remaining excessively inside the condenser 100 and revaporizing or increasing the heat load, and quickly moves the liquid iodine to the downstream storage or conveying unit.

[0074] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a gas discharge unit 300 is connected to the upper part of a condenser 100 and is capable of discharging non-condensable gases that have not been condensed inside the condenser 100 to the outside.

[0075] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the gas discharge section 300 is connected to the upper region inside the condenser 100 and may include pipes and connections for maintaining the internal pressure of the condenser 100 while guiding non-condensable gas to the condenser 400.

[0076] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the gas discharge section 300 may include a gas discharge port 320 formed on the upper side of the condenser 100.

[0077] The gas discharge port 320 is located on the upper side of the condenser 100, where non-condensable gas accumulates inside the condenser 100 via the filling part 120 and the partition 130, thereby effectively discharging the gas to the outside.

[0078] The aforementioned gas outlet 320 can be formed as a pipe with a circular cross-section, and can be installed through the thickness of the upper outer wall of the condenser 100. The aforementioned gas outlet 320 is combined with a pipe connected to the outside of the condenser 100, and can be attached with a valve or sensor for controlling gas flow.

[0079] According to one embodiment of this disclosure, the diameter of the gas discharge port 320 can be designed taking into account the expected gas flow rate and pressure loss inside the condenser 100. Furthermore, the gas discharge port 320 can be equipped with a pressure sensor capable of measuring the internal pressure and gas discharge rate of the condenser 100 in real time.

[0080] As described above, one embodiment of this disclosure, by including a gas discharge section 300 and a gas discharge port 320, can quickly and stably discharge non-condensable gases that have not been condensed inside the condenser 100 to the outside. This maintains a constant internal pressure within the condenser 100, ensures smooth gas discharge, and thereby stably maintains the heat exchange efficiency inside the condenser 100, ensuring the continuity of the iodine recovery process.

[0081] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the sublimator 400 is connected to the gas discharge section 300 and can further recover residual iodine that has not yet been condensed from the gas discharged from the condenser 100 in the form of liquid iodine.

[0082] The sublimator 400 is a device that directly sublimates specific components into a solid or recovers them in liquid form by cooling high-temperature gas. In one embodiment of this disclosure, it is used to further process residual iodine vapor in the non-condensable gas discharged from the condenser 100 to recover it in liquid iodine form, and then resupply the recovered liquid iodine to the condenser 100 through a recirculation line 500. This improves the iodine recovery rate and reduces energy loss.

[0083] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the sublimator 400 is capable of recovering residual iodine in the gas supplied from the gas discharge section 300 in liquid form and supplying it to the recirculation line 500.

[0084] The aforementioned condenser 400 is connected to the gas discharge section 300 and is capable of receiving gas discharged from the condenser 100. The gas flowing in through the gas discharge section 300 contains gas that has not been completely condensed inside the condenser 100, and this gas may contain trace amounts of iodine. The aforementioned condenser 400 is used to further process such gas to recover the residual iodine in liquid form.

[0085] The aforementioned condenser 400 may be formed of a metallic material and may include internal cooling coils or heat transfer sections to facilitate heat exchange with the gas.

[0086] Specifically, the temperature of the gas entering through the gas exhaust section 300 is reduced within the sublimator 400 through heat exchange, during which residual iodine is converted into a liquid state and captured. This process is similar to condensation, but optimized heat exchange conditions can be used to more effectively capture the trace amounts of iodine in the gas. For example, the sublimator 400 can be designed to maintain a temperature below approximately 40°C, and the internal pressure can be adjusted to be the same as that of the condenser 100.

[0087] The liquid iodine recovered in the condenser 400 can be supplied to the condenser 100 via the recirculation line 500. The recirculation line 500 is formed as a pipe structure connecting the lower discharge port 420 of the condenser 400 and the upper inlet 170 of the condenser 100. The liquid iodine recovered in the condenser 400 is resupplied to the condenser 100, thereby enabling further heat exchange.

[0088] According to one embodiment of this disclosure, the sublimator 400 can be arranged on the same engineering line as the condenser 100, and can be designed so that gas can flow in through the gas discharge section 300. The sublimator 400 is internally configured with multiple heat exchange plates to maximize the heat transfer area with the gas, and may have an inclined collection section to effectively capture liquid iodine. A storage section for capturing liquid iodine is formed at the lower part of the sublimator 400, which then transports the liquid iodine to the recirculation line 500.

[0089] As described above, residual iodine that was not fully recovered in the condenser 100 can be further recovered by the sublimator 400 and the recirculation line 500 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, thereby improving the iodine recovery rate.

[0090] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the recirculation line 500 is a conduit formed for resupplying liquid iodine recovered in the sublimator 400 to the condenser 100. It can be configured as a conduit connecting a lower discharge port 420 connected to the lower part of the sublimator 400 and an upper inlet port 170 formed on the upper part of the condenser 100.

[0091] Therefore, by resupplying the recovered liquid iodine to the condenser 100 through the aforementioned recirculation line 500, the heat exchange efficiency inside the condenser 100 can be improved. Furthermore, the recirculation line 500 can increase the partial pressure of iodine inside the condenser 100 to promote the condensation of iodine vapor.

[0092] According to one embodiment, the above-mentioned recirculation line 500 may be configured as a pipe connecting the lower discharge port 420 of the above-mentioned condenser 400 and the upper inlet port 170 of the above-mentioned condenser 100.

[0093] The aforementioned recirculation line 500 serves as a conduit connecting the sublimator 400 and the condenser 100 in the aforementioned iodine recovery device, and is used to resupply the liquid iodine recovered from the gas transmitted from the gas discharge section 300 to the sublimator 400 to the condenser 100.

[0094] The aforementioned recirculation line 500, in order to allow liquid iodine to flow internally, prevent leakage to the outside, and maintain a stable internal pressure, can be made of a material with corrosion resistance and heat resistance. For example, pipes made of stainless steel or highly corrosion-resistant alloy materials can be used.

[0095] See Figure 1 It can be seen that the lower part of the aforementioned condenser 400 can form a storage section for the accumulation of liquid iodine condensed from the gas, and this storage section is provided with a lower discharge port 420 and connected to the aforementioned recirculation line 500. Additionally, see... Figure 1 The aforementioned recirculation line 500 extends from the aforementioned lower discharge port 420 and connects to the upper part of the aforementioned condenser 100. The upper part of the aforementioned condenser 100 is provided with an independent upper inlet 170. Liquid iodine supplied through the aforementioned recirculation line 500 can be supplied to the interior of the aforementioned condenser 100, especially the aforementioned filling section 120.

[0096] According to one embodiment of this disclosure, the recirculation line 500 may also include a flow regulating valve or a check valve. Furthermore, the inner diameter of the recirculation line 500 can be designed based on the supply of liquid iodine recovered in the condenser 400 and the heat exchange requirements at the filling section 120 inside the condenser 100. The recirculation line 500 may be attached with a temperature sensor or a pressure sensor to monitor its operating status in real time, thereby maintaining stable recirculation.

[0097] This recirculation structure increases the partial pressure of iodine inside the condenser 100 and acts as a cooling medium, thereby improving the condensation efficiency of iodine vapor.

[0098] As described above, the iodine recovery apparatus according to one embodiment of this disclosure can stably recover iodine in liquid form by effectively treating reactor exhaust gas. Therefore, compared to conventional methods of recovering iodine in solid form, it is more energy efficient, reduces iodine loss during the process, and facilitates subsequent storage and use in reuse processes.

[0099] Figure 3 A flowchart illustrating an iodine recovery method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is provided. Sections that repeat from the above embodiments will be briefly described or omitted.

[0100] As shown in the figure, the iodine recovery method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include: step S810, cooling the reactor exhaust gas in a condenser to separate it into liquid iodine and gas; step S820, recovering the separated liquid iodine through a liquid iodine recovery section connected to the lower part of the condenser; step S830, discharging the separated gas through a gas discharge section connected to the upper part of the condenser; step S840, recovering the residual iodine in the gas in liquid form in a sublimator connected to the gas discharge section; and step S850, resupplying the liquid iodine recovered in the sublimator to the condenser through a recirculation line.

[0101] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, step S810, which involves cooling reactor exhaust gas in a condenser to separate it into liquid iodine and gas, is a process in which iodine vapor and non-condensable gas contained in the reactor exhaust gas discharged from the reactor are supplied to the interior of the condenser and cooled, thereby separating them into liquid iodine and gas inside the condenser.

[0102] The condenser can maintain the internal pressure at a level sufficient for iodine to liquefy (e.g., about 4 kg / cm²g) and the internal temperature at a lower level (e.g., below 160°C) where iodine will not revaporize.

[0103] In one embodiment of this disclosure, the condenser is provided with a filling section, in which reactor exhaust gas comes into contact with liquid iodine supplied via a recirculation line for heat exchange in an area containing multiple filling materials. This allows iodine vapor to be condensed into liquid iodine more efficiently.

[0104] Next, step S820, which involves recovering the separated liquid iodine through a liquid iodine recovery unit connected to the lower part of the condenser, is a process that stably recovers the liquid iodine condensed inside the condenser to the outside.

[0105] The lower part of the condenser has a bottom area for accumulating liquid iodine. This bottom area may be equipped with a liquid iodine recovery unit connected to a liquid iodine discharge port. The liquid iodine inside the condenser can be transported to an external storage unit or transferred to subsequent processes through the liquid iodine recovery unit.

[0106] Next, step S830, in which the separated gas is discharged through the gas discharge section connected to the upper part of the condenser, is a process of discharging the remaining non-condensable gas that has not been condensed inside the condenser to the outside.

[0107] A gas vent is formed on the upper side of the condenser, and the gas vent section, including the gas vent, can be connected to an external discharge line. The gas inside the condenser is discharged to the outside through the gas vent section, and the gas may still contain some iodine.

[0108] Next, step S840, in which the residual iodine in the gas is recovered in liquid form in the sublimator connected to the gas emission section, is a process of supplying the gas from the gas emission section into the sublimator and further condensing or sublimating the residual iodine in the gas to recover it in the form of liquid iodine.

[0109] The condenser is equipped with an independent heat exchange or cooling device, which can effectively convert iodine vapor in the gas into liquid iodine. In one embodiment, the lower part of the condenser may be provided with a storage section for storing the recovered liquid iodine and a lower discharge port.

[0110] Next, step S850, in which the liquid iodine recovered in the condenser is recirculated back to the condenser, involves recirculating the liquid iodine recovered in the lower part of the condenser to the upper part of the condenser. The recirculation line connects the lower discharge port of the condenser to the upper inlet of the condenser, forming a pipe structure for the flow of liquid iodine. Thus, the recirculated liquid iodine is supplied to the filling section inside the condenser, allowing it to be reused for heat exchange and condensation.

[0111] As described above, the iodine recovery method according to one embodiment of this disclosure can perform staged treatment of reactor exhaust gas to maximize the recovery of liquid iodine. Through each step, iodine is effectively liquefied, recovered, and recycled. This improves the iodine recovery rate, reduces energy loss, and increases the efficiency of the entire process.

[0112] Table 1 below illustrates an iodine recovery apparatus according to one embodiment of the present disclosure (see Table 1). Figure 1 Stream data.

[0113]

[0114] As shown in Table 1, comparing the data of S101 (reactor exhaust gas inflow) and S102 (condenser inflow after cooling), it can be seen that before the reactor exhaust gas flows into the condenser, it is cooled from about 525°C to 160°C through a heat exchange device, and the pressure is adjusted from 5.0 kg / cm²g to 4.0 kg / cm²g, so as to supply the gas at a temperature and pressure suitable for the condenser.

[0115] Comparing S103 (the flow to the upper gas exhaust section of the condenser) and S104 (the flow to the upper gas exhaust section of the sublimator), it can be seen that the flow discharged from the upper gas exhaust section of the condenser still contains a certain amount of iodine (reduced from 117.4 kg / hr to 0.6 kg / hr). Through the sublimator, the residual iodine in the gas is further removed. This indicates that the sublimator actually recovers the residual iodine in liquid form and supplies it to the recirculation line.

[0116] S105 (the flow to the lower recirculation line of the sublimator) contains 116.8 kg / hr of I2 (iodine) and is resupplying to the upper part of the condenser. This indicates that the structure that effectively improves the iodine condensation efficiency of the condenser's internal packing section through the combination of the sublimator and the recirculation line is in operation.

[0117] It can be seen that S106 (the flow to the liquid iodine recovery section at the bottom of the condenser) discharges 214.1 kg / hr of iodine (I2) and contains almost no non-condensable gas components, directly recovering high-purity liquid iodine at the bottom of the condenser.

[0118] Thus, the flow data shown in Table 1 according to the embodiments of the present disclosure demonstrate that, through the organic combination of the condenser, gas emission section, sublimator, recirculation line, and liquid iodine recovery section, a structure for effectively liquefying and recovering iodine vapor is actually achieved.

[0119] Therefore, according to one embodiment of this disclosure, the iodine condensation efficiency in the condenser is improved, the iodine loss in the gas emission section is minimized, and further heat exchange is carried out inside the condenser through a recirculation line, thereby improving the iodine recovery rate.

[0120] Thus, the iodine recovery apparatus and method according to one embodiment of the present disclosure can effectively recover iodine and reduce the burden on downstream devices by liquefying and recovering iodine.

[0121] In addition, according to an embodiment of the iodine recovery apparatus and method of this disclosure, since the iodine recovered in the condenser exists in a liquid state, it is easier to store and transport than iodine recovered in a solid state, and can be directly supplied to the reuse process for utilization.

[0122] Furthermore, according to one embodiment of the iodine recovery apparatus and method of this disclosure, the method of recovery using a condenser provides a higher heat recovery rate compared to the sublimation method. That is, when recovering iodine in solid form, the reactor exhaust gas needs to be cooled to about 40°C to 80°C, while according to the embodiment of this disclosure, since the condenser recovers iodine in liquid form, the reactor exhaust gas only needs to be cooled to about 160°C. Therefore, when the reactor exhaust gas is subsequently supplied to the reuse process, the heat used to raise the temperature can be reduced.

[0123] In addition, one embodiment of the iodine recovery apparatus and method disclosed herein includes a baffle and a filling section inside the condenser, which mixes liquid iodine supplied through a recirculation line with reactor exhaust gas to exchange heat with iodine vapor, thereby further improving the iodine recovery rate.

[0124] The above description is merely an example of applying the principles of this disclosure, and other configurations may be further included without departing from the scope of this disclosure. For example, at least some of the various embodiments of this disclosure described above may be combined.

Claims

1. An iodine recovery device, comprising: A condenser that cools the reactor exhaust gas to separate it into liquid iodine and gas; A liquid iodine recovery unit, connected to the lower part of the condenser, recovers the separated liquid iodine; A gas discharge section, connected to the upper part of the condenser, discharges the separated gas; A sublimator, which is connected to the gas exhaust section; and A recirculation line that resupply the liquid iodine recovered in the sublimator to the condenser.

2. The iodine recovery device according to claim 1, wherein, The condenser has an internal filling section that allows the reactor exhaust gas to come into contact with liquid iodine supplied through the recirculation line.

3. The iodine recovery device according to claim 2, wherein, Inside the condenser, a baffle is arranged vertically adjacent to the filling section. The partition is formed to divide the area where liquid iodine accumulates inside the condenser from the area where the gas stays before being discharged through the gas exhaust section, and extends from the upper part to the lower part inside the condenser, forming a lower space separated from the bottom region of the condenser.

4. The iodine recovery device according to claim 1, wherein, The iodine recovery device includes: Chimney trays are formed on the upper part of the condenser to capture condensed liquid iodine; The downcomer guides the liquid iodine captured in the chimney tray to the bottom region of the condenser.

5. The iodine recovery device according to claim 1, wherein, The liquid iodine recovery unit includes a liquid iodine discharge port connected to the bottom region of the condenser.

6. The iodine recovery device according to claim 1, wherein, The gas discharge section includes a gas discharge port formed on the upper side of the condenser.

7. The iodine recovery device according to claim 1, wherein, The sublimator recovers residual iodine in the gas supplied from the gas emission section in liquid form and supplies it to the recirculation line.

8. The iodine recovery device according to claim 1, wherein, The recirculation line is formed as a pipe connecting the lower discharge port of the sublimator to the upper inlet of the condenser.

9. A method for iodine recovery, comprising: The step of cooling reactor exhaust gas in a condenser to separate it into liquid iodine and gas; The step of recovering the separated liquid iodine through a liquid iodine recovery section connected to the lower part of the condenser; The step of discharging the separated gas through a gas discharge section connected to the upper part of the condenser; The step of recovering residual iodine in the gas in liquid form in a sublimator connected to the gas emission section; and The step of resupplying the liquid iodine recovered in the sublimator to the condenser via a recirculation line.

10. The iodine recovery method according to claim 9, wherein, The step of cooling the reactor exhaust gas in a condenser to separate it into liquid iodine and gas includes: The step involves contacting the reactor exhaust gas with liquid iodine supplied through the recirculation line via a filling section containing multiple filling materials formed inside the condenser.

11. The iodine recovery method according to claim 10, wherein, include: The step of vertically arranging a partition adjacent to the filling section inside the condenser to divide the area where liquid iodine accumulates inside the condenser from the area where the gas stays before being discharged through the gas discharge section.

12. The iodine recovery method according to claim 11, wherein, include: The step of the baffle extending from the upper part to the lower part of the interior of the condenser to provide a lower space separated from the bottom region of the condenser, so that the gas flows through the lower space of the baffle to the gas discharge section.

13. The iodine recovery method according to claim 9, wherein, The step of recovering the separated liquid iodine through a liquid iodine recovery section connected to the lower part of the condenser includes: The step of discharging the liquid iodine through a liquid iodine outlet formed in the bottom region of the condenser.

14. The iodine recovery method according to claim 9, wherein, The step of resupplying the liquid iodine recovered in the sublimator to the condenser via a recirculation line includes: The step of supplying liquid iodine to the filling section by connecting the recirculation line to the lower discharge port of the sublimator and the upper inlet of the condenser.

15. The iodine recovery method according to claim 9, wherein, The upper part of the condenser has a chimney tray for capturing condensed liquid iodine. The iodine recovery method includes the step of guiding liquid iodine captured in the chimney tray to the bottom region of the condenser and discharging it through a downcomer.

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