Spent Ion-Exchange Resin Treatment via Vacuum Drying and High-Temperature Furnace
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for drying spent ion-exchange resins at nuclear power plants are inefficient in terms of energy usage and result in a low bulk factor of dried resins, leading to ineffective treatment and storage challenges.
Innovation Solution
The method involves microencapsulation of ion-exchange resins through vacuum drying followed by high-temperature heat treatment, which reduces resin volume and prevents swelling, using a system that includes a loading tank, drying chamber, high-temperature furnace, and gas purification system to manage humidity and gases effectively.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If conventional drying methods are used for spent ion-exchange resins, then the drying process is simple, but the energy efficiency is low and the bulk factor of dried resins is low
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines vacuum drying with high-temperature heat treatment in an integrated process. The drying chamber is equipped with both vacuum system and heating system, allowing simultaneous removal of moisture and thermal treatment of resins. This merged approach improves energy efficiency by eliminating the need for separate drying and heating operations while achieving better bulk factor results.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies controlled parameter changes by gradually increasing temperature from ambient to 250-300°C during the drying process. The vacuum pressure is also controlled to optimize moisture removal. These parameter changes enable efficient water elimination while preventing resin degradation, thereby improving energy efficiency and bulk factor simultaneously.
2Volume of moving object
If conventional drying is used, then the process is simple, but the volume of discharged resins is large and swelling prevention is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs progressive temperature increase from ambient to 250-300°C during vacuum drying. This controlled thermal parameter change ensures complete moisture removal and resin stabilization, reducing final volume by more than two times while preventing swelling. The high temperature treatment modifies resin structure to become more compact and stable.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent maintains continuous vacuum and heating action throughout the drying process until complete moisture removal is achieved. This continuous useful action ensures thorough dehydration and proper resin consolidation, resulting in significant volume reduction and stable, non-swelling characteristics of the discharged resins.
3Productivity
If vacuum drying with high-temperature heat treatment is applied, then energy efficiency and bulk factor improve, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The drying chamber is designed as a multi-functional unit that performs vacuum drying, high-temperature heat treatment, and resin agitation in a single device. The vacuum pump serves both moisture removal and resin deaeration functions, while the heating system provides both drying heat and thermal stabilization. This universal design achieves high productivity without proportionally increasing system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges multiple treatment functions (vacuum drying, heating, agitation) into an integrated system. The drying chamber contains both vacuum and heating systems operating simultaneously, and the resin agitation mechanism serves both mixing and heat distribution purposes. This merging approach improves productivity while keeping device complexity manageable through functional integration.
4Reliability
If resins are dried without high-temperature treatment, then the process is faster, but swelling prevention is insufficient and radionuclide immobilization is inadequate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies high-temperature parameter change (250-300°C) during vacuum drying to achieve proper resin stabilization. This temperature parameter change is critical for preventing swelling and ensuring radionuclide immobilization. The process maintains this elevated temperature for sufficient duration to ensure complete treatment, balancing reliability improvement with acceptable processing time.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent maintains continuous high-temperature vacuum treatment until complete moisture removal and resin stabilization are achieved. This continuous action at elevated temperature ensures proper swelling prevention and radionuclide immobilization. The process monitors treatment progress to determine when sufficient stabilization has been achieved, optimizing the balance between reliability and processing time.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach significantly reduces the volume of ion-exchange resins by more than two times, limits swelling to less than 10%, and immobilizes radionuclides within microcapsules, enhancing storage efficiency and safety.
Implementation Method 1
vacuum drying with simultaneous mixing of the ion-exchange resins in the drying chamber at a temperature not exceeding 90° C.
Implementation Method 2
the ion-exchange resins after vacuum drying in the drying chamber are subjected to additional heat treatment in a high-temperature furnace at a temperature of 250-300° C.
Implementation Method 3
separating the ion-exchange resins from the transport water by settling the mixture
Data Source
AI summary
A method for treatment of spent ion-exchange resins for disposal includes feeding a mixture of spent ion-exchange resins to the a loading tank, separating the ion-exchange resins, feeding separated ion-exchange resins into the a drying chamber, vacuum drying the ion-exchange resins and subjecting the resins to additional heat treatment in a high-temperature furnace, and unloading the treated ion-exchange resins into a transport container. A device for treatment of spent ion-exchange resins includes a loading tank, a metering device connected to a drying chamber, an inclined feed screw located between the loading tank and the metering device, a vacuum pump, a heated gas filter, a high-temperature furnace equipped with a vacuum drying and gas purification system, and a feeding device located between the drying chamber and the high-temperature furnace. A docking unit is connected to a lower part of the high-temperature furnace.