Process for rapid colloidal suspension removal
AssigneeFramatome ANP GmbH
InventorsPhilip N. Baldwin JR., Raymond E. Beatty, James E. Day, Gary J. Guy
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Abstract
A method and apparatus is disclosed for very rapidly cleaning very small colloidal particles from nuclear reactor water subjected to a high-energy waterjet cutting of metal using metal shot particles for cutting such as garnet particles with the cutting causing fracturing of the metal shot as well as the cut metal fines into a negatively charged colloidal suspension having a large area. This colloidal suspension causes water turbidity and makes known filtration techniques impractical for rapid removal of such suspensions for recycling to the reactor,
Claims11
A method of rapid removal of colloidal suspensions in reactor water subjected to high energy waterjet cutting with any particulate material which produces colloidal particles in the reactor water comprising the steps of:
- feeding the reactor water to a multi step process at a large flow rate;
- adding polymer to the reactor water;
- adding a smectite clay material to the reactor water for providing alkalinity and some coagulation;
- adding a flocculants material to the reactor water for charge neutralization and flocculation;
- and
- filtering the reactor water through a stainless steel mesh filter of approximately 20-25 micron mesh size.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.