Cooling Process Analysis of a 5-Drum System for Radioactive Waste Processing

Alfredo Iranzo, Francisco Javier Pino, José Guerra, Francisco Bernal and Nicasio García
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Alfredo Iranzo: Thermal Engineering Group, Energy Engineering Department, School of Engineering, Universidad de Sevilla, Camino de los Descubrimientos, s/n, 41092 Sevilla, Spain
Francisco Javier Pino: Thermal Engineering Group, Energy Engineering Department, School of Engineering, Universidad de Sevilla, Camino de los Descubrimientos, s/n, 41092 Sevilla, Spain
José Guerra: Thermal Engineering Group, Energy Engineering Department, School of Engineering, Universidad de Sevilla, Camino de los Descubrimientos, s/n, 41092 Sevilla, Spain
Francisco Bernal: NUSIM S.A. c/Balbino Marrón, 8, Pl. 6, 41018 Sevilla, Spain
Nicasio García: NUSIM S.A. c/Balbino Marrón, 8, Pl. 6, 41018 Sevilla, Spain

Energies, 2018, vol. 11, issue 10, 1-25

Abstract: A cooling system design for the processing of radioactive waste drums is investigated in this work, with the objective of providing insights for the determination of the air flow rate required to ensure an acceptable slag temperature (323 K or below) after 5 days. A methodology based on both 3D and 2D axisymmetric Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) modelling is developed. Transient temperature distributions within the drums in time and space determined by the heat transfer characteristics are studied in detail. A sensitivity analysis is also carried out assuming different physical properties of the radioactive slag. It was found out that for all variations analyzed, the maximum temperature of slag at the end of five days cooling is below 323 K, where the maximum outlet air temperature for a minimum air inlet velocity of 1 m/s is between 320 K and 323 K depending on the radioactive slag properties. When glass-like radioactive slag properties are assumed, the internal heat conduction within the slag is limiting the overall heat transfer, therefore requiring significantly longer cooling times.

Keywords: heat transfer; cooling; CFD; numerical model; radioactive waste processing (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
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