Nuclear Engineering and Technology

Korean Nuclear Society (한국원자력학회)
권호 표지
DOI QR코드

DOI QR Code

Study of an improved and novel venturi scrubber configuration for removal of radioactive gases from NPP containment air during severe accident

  • Farooq, Mujahid (Department of Mechanical Engineering, Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences) ;
  • Ahmed, Ammar (Department of Mechanical Engineering, Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences) ;
  • Qureshi, Kamran (Department of Mechanical Engineering, Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences) ;
  • Shah, Ajmal (Centre for Mathematical Sciences, Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences) ;
  • Waheed, Khalid (Department of Nuclear Engineering, Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences) ;
  • Siddique, Waseem (Department of Nuclear Engineering, Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences) ;
  • Irfan, Naseem (Department of Nuclear Engineering, Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences) ;
  • Ahmad, Masroor (Department of Nuclear Engineering, Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences) ;
  • Farooq, Amjad (Department of Nuclear Engineering, Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences)
  • Received : 2021.09.14
  • Accepted : 2022.03.21
  • Published : 2022.09.25
Download PDF
⟨ Previous Next ⟩

Abstract

Owing to the rising concerns about the safety of nuclear power plants (NPP), it is essential to study the venturi scrubber in detail, which is a key component of the filtered containment venting system (FCVS). FCVS alleviates the pressurein containment byfiltering and venting out the contaminated air. Themain objective of this research was to perform a CFD investigation of different configurations of a circular, non-submerged, self-priming venturi scrubber to estimate and improve the performance in the removal of elemental iodine from the air. For benchmarking, a mass transfer model which is based on two-film theory was selected and validated by experimental data where an alkaline solution was considered as the scrubbing solution. This mass transfer model was modified and implemented on a unique formation of two self-priming venturi scrubbers in series. Euler-Euler method was used for two-phase modeling and the realizable K-ε model was used for capturing the turbulence. The obtained results showed a remarkable improvement in the removal of radioactive iodine from the air using a series combination of venturi scrubbers. The removal efficiency was improved at every single data point.

Keywords

References

  1. A. Ahmed, et al., Investigation of iodine removal efficiency in a venturi scrubber using mass transfer model for CFD, Prog. Nucl. Energy 121 (2020) 103243, 2020/03/01. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pnucene.2020.103243
  2. S. Uchida, C.Y. Wen, Gas absorption by alkaline solutions in a venturi scrubber, Ind. Eng. Chem. Process Des. Dev. 12 (4) (1973).
  3. D.O. Cooney, Modeling venturi scrubber performance for H2S removal from oil-shale retort gases, Chem. Eng. Commun. 35 (1985) 315-338. https://doi.org/10.1080/00986448508911236
  4. M. Ravindram, N. Pyla, Modeling of a venturi scrubber for the control of gaseous pollutants, Ind. Eng. Chem. Process Des. Dev. 25 (1) (1986) 35-40. https://doi.org/10.1021/i200032a006
  5. D.F. Alonso, J.A.S. Gonclaves, B.J. Azzopardi, J.R. Coury, Drop size measurements in venturi scrubbers, Chem. Eng. Sci. 56 (2001) 4901-4911. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0009-2509(01)00140-3
  6. R.H. Boll, Particle collision and pressure drop in venturi scrubbers, Ind. Eng. Chem. Fund. 12 (1973) 40-50. https://doi.org/10.1021/i160045a008
  7. S. Nukiyama, An experiment on the atomization of liquid, Trans. Soc. Mech. Engrs. Japan 5 (1939) 1-4, 1939.
  8. X. Gamisans, M. Sarra, F.J. Lafuente, The role of the liquid film on the mass transfer in venturi-based scrubbers, Chem. Eng. Res. Des. 82 (2004) 372-380. https://doi.org/10.1205/026387604322870480
  9. S.I. Pak, K.S. Chang, Performance estimation of a Venturi scrubber using a computational model for capturing dust particles with liquid spray, J. Hazard Mater. 138 (3) (Dec 1 2006) 560-573. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2006.05.105
  10. M. Ali, Y.A.N. Changqi, S.U.N. Zhongning, G.U. Haifeng, W. Junlong, K. Mehboob, Iodine removal efficiency in non-submerged and submerged self-priming venturi scrubber, Nucl. Eng. Technol. 45 (2) (2013) 203-210. https://doi.org/10.5516/NET.03.2012.047
  11. M. Ali, C. Yan, H. Gu, K. Mehboob, A. Rasool, Removal efficiency of iodine at saturated steam in, Submerged Venturi Scrubber (2014). V003T06A019.
  12. Y. Zhou, Z. Sun, H. Gu, Z. Miao, Performance of iodide vapours absorption in the venturi scrubber working in self-priming mode, Ann. Nucl. Energy 87 (2016) 426-434. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anucene.2015.09.026
  13. T. Ashfaq, Mass Transfer Investigation of Iodine in Venturi Scrubbing Solution of Filtered Containment Venting System, in: M.S. Nuclear Engineering, Department of Nuclear Engineering, Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences (PIEAS), Nilore,Islamabad,45650,Pakistan, 2017.
  14. ANSYS Fluent Theory Guide," vol. 15.0, ed: ANSYS, Inc., 2013.
  15. R.L. Steinberger, R.E. Treybal, Mass transfer from a solid soluble sphere to a flowing liquid system, AIChE J 6 (1960) 227. https://doi.org/10.1002/aic.690060213
  16. P. Goel, A. Moharana, A.K. Nayak, Measurement of scrubbing behaviour of simulated radionuclide in a submerged venturi scrubber, Nucl. Eng. Des. 327 (2018) 92-99. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nucengdes.2017.12.003