US 2020/0027614 A1Published application

Device and method for purifying nuclear reactor coolant radioactive material/adjusting ph

AssigneeCellgentek Co., Ltd.

InventorsHan Gun KIM, Duk Yong KIM, Hang Jun KIM

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Abstract

Disclosed are an apparatus and a method for purifying reactor coolant radioactive material and adjusting the pH of the reactor coolant, to replace and overcome the disadvantages of the purification and Li adjustment of a reactor coolant, by conventional ion-exchange resins; to concentrate, store and reuse Li7, which is naturally produced in a nuclear reactor during power operation, without injecting expensive LiOH obtained by removing Li6 and concentrating only Li7; or to solve the problem that lithium (Li+) ions used as a pH adjusting agent are removed together with radioactive metal ion materials which is and adverse effect occurring when the lithium ions are applied to a reactor coolant purification apparatus.

Claims8

Dependent claims

An apparatus for purifying reactor coolant radioactive material and adjusting the pH of the reactor coolant, in which the apparatus is applied to a chemical and volume control system (CVCS) comprising a regenerative heat exchanger, a non-regenerative heat exchanger and a volume control tank, and is provided between the non-regenerative heat exchanger and the volume control tank in a moving path of the react or coolant, the apparatus comprising:

a radioactive metal ion recovery unit comprising a first negative electrode member having a negative (−) electrode connected thereto and a first positive electrode member having a positive (+) electrode connected thereto, the radioactive metal ion recovery unit being configured such that the reactor coolant discharged from the non-generative heat exchanger passes between the first negative electrode member and the first positive electrode member, through which DC power flows, so that radioactive metal ions and metal particles are recovered while being deposited on the first negative electrode member;
an Li ion separation/concentration unit comprising a second positive electrode having a positive (+) electrode connected to one side, a second negative electrode member having a positive (−) electrode connected to the other side, and a cation-exchange membrane provided between the second positive electrode member and the second negative electrode member and configured to pass a cation therethrough, the Li ion separation/concentration unit being configured such that the reactor coolant that passed through the radioactive metal ion recovery unit passes between the second positive electrode member and the cation-exchange membrane and flows into the volume control tank, and pure water is continuously recycled between the second negative electrode member and the cation-exchange membrane, so that Li+ ions, produced in the reactor coolant and passed through the cation-exchange membrane, move toward the second negative electrode member and are separated;
and
an Li7 concentration tank configured to concentrate Li7 in a recycling process in which Li7 separated from the Li ion separation/concentration unit is recycled again to the Li ion separation/concentration unit.

1 more element

A method for purifying reactor coolant radioactive material and regulating the pH of the reactor coolant, in which the method is applied to a chemical and volume control system (CVCS) comprising a regenerative heat exchanger, a non-regenerative heat exchanger and a volume

control tank, and is used to purify the reactor coolant radioactive material and adjust the pH of the reactor coolant, the method comprising the steps of:
passing the reactor coolant, discharged from the non-regenerative heat exchanger, between a first negative electrode member and first positive electrode member of a radio active metal ion recovery unit, through which a DC current flows, thereby recovering radioactive metal ions and metal particles by deposition on the first negative electrode member;
passing the reactor coolant, passed through the radioactive metal ion recovery unit, between a second negative electrode member and cation-exchange membrane of an Li ion separation/concentration unit, so as to be introduced into the volume control tank, and continuously recycling pure water between the second positive electrode member and the cation-exchange membrane, so that Li+ ions, produced in the reactor coolant and passed through the cation-exchange membrane, move toward the second negative electrode member and are separated;
concentrating Li7, separated from the Li ion separation/concentration unit, in an Li7 concentration tank in a recycling process;
and
supplying Li7, stored in the Li7 concentration tank, to the volume control tank, thereby injecting the Li7 into the reactor coolant.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 16/494,644Filed 26 May 2017
Priority: KR 10-2017-003311716 Mar 2017
Published: 23 Jan 2020
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification8 codes

G21F 9/12
Processing: by absorption; by adsorption; by ion-exchange
G21C 19/307
With continuous purification of circulating fluent material, e.g. by extraction of fission products deterioration or corrosion products,…:…
G21F 9/06
Treating liquids: processing
G21C 17/0225
For monitoring liquid coolants or moderators: chemical surface treatment, e.g. corrosion