Evaporation

of Radioactive Liquids

www.nukemgroup.com
EVAPORATION
OF RADIOACTIVE LIQUIDS
Introduction
Aqueous radioactive wastes are
generated in many nuclear facilities
e.g. nuclear power plants, research
centres, waste conditioning facilities,
etc. When the concentration of
soluble and/or insoluble solids in the
waste stream is low, it is standard
practice to concentrate the waste
using an evaporator. This typically
achieves a volume reduction of ~100
and the resultant small volume of
concentrate can be held
economically in storage tanks while
awaiting conditioning.
The equipment used for the
concentration of aqueous wastes
must guarantee a high
decontamination factor to enable the
distillate to be discharged into the
conventional sewage system.
To carry out this process, NUKEM
supplies special forced circulation
evaporators under license from
“Vereinigte Edelstahlwerke (VEW)”;
these have evaporation capacities
ranging from 0.5 to 10 m³/h.
In many cases, because the distillate
must have a very high purity, two-
stage evaporation is necessary.
Where the required decontamination
factor is lower, a single stage
evaporator can be used, but this is
dependent on the characteristics of
the feed stock and the anticipated
use or disposal route for the
distillate.
The NUKEM two stage evaporator
sets new standards for the
evaporation process and overall
decontamination factors between the
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2007
concentrate/ distillate can be as high
as 5 x109 for non-volatile species.
The resultant concentrate normally
has a total solids content of
~20%w/w. This means that the
concentration factor between the
concentrate and feed is
approximately 100 and
consequently, the overall
decontamination factor between feed
and distillate can be as high as 5 x
107 for non-volatile species.
NUKEM evaporators have a number
of additional attractive features which
include:
• Automatic controls to make
operation easy
• Maintenance has been reduced to
a minimum
• Forced circulation, together with
flash distillation, prevents fouling
of the heat exchanger
• The energy demand for a two-
stage evaporator is the same as
for a single stage unit.
• The standard models are
delivered skid-mounted
• The evaporator can be operated
at different pressures, for
example:
• A pressure of 1 bar in the first
stage and atmospheric pressure in
the second stage, or
• Atmospheric pressure in the first
stage and negative pressure in the
second stage
• The layout can readily be adapted,
so it exactly meets the client´s
requirements
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Pre-treatment of Wastes
Pre-treatment of the waste is
normally not required, but in some
Process Description
-See Fig. 3, Two stage forced
circulation evaporator-
The following process description
refers to the two-stage evaporator,
the first stage being operated at
positive pressure condition.
The feed stock is pumped through
an optional pre-heater into the first
evaporator stage. The liquid level in
the first flash chamber determines
the rate. By means of the circulation
pump, the liquid is moved by forced
circulation from the flash chamber,
through the heat exchanger and the
restriction orifice and back into the
flash chamber. The restriction orifice
is positioned at the inlet to the flash
chamber and as a consequence of
the pressure-rise produced by the
circulation pump, the production of
bubbles (and the fouling that would
arise from their formation) is
avoided.
As a result of the pressure drop in
concentrate due to circulation
through the restriction orifice, part of
the liquid is evaporated. The
evaporation capacity is determined
by the flow rate of steam to the heat
exchanger.
In the flash chamber, the vapour is
separated from the concentrate by
means of a cyclone-type separator
2 NUKEM Technologies GmbH
cases adjustment of the pH may be
beneficial.
that utilises acceleration and
centrifugal force. This special
feature effectively separates the
ultra-fine droplets from the vapor
without the generation of further
droplets. As a consequence, the
decontamination factor for non-
volatile constituents is very high.
Residual heat from the steam is
used to heat the feed stock in the
pre-heater.
The vapour leaving the first stage
(at ~120°C ; pressure 1 bar) is
condensed in the mixing condenser,
which is part of the second stage
recirculation loop. In this contact
condenser, complete condensation
of the vapour from the first stage
occurs and the condensate is
completely absorbed by the force-
circulated liquid from the second
stage; this prevents the transfer of
entrained droplets of radioactive
aerosol into the distillate from the
second stage. The second
evaporator stage works according to
the same principle as the first stage,
as described above, except that it
operates at approximately
atmospheric pressure. As a
consequence of the lower operating
pressure in the second stage, the
excess heat from the first stage can
be used for evaporation.
The vapor leaving the second stage
flash chamber flows into the
condenser; permanent gases flow
through a throttle, together with a
2007
small quantity of vapor, into a gas
cooler where the gas is cooled and
transferred to the plant off-gas
treatment facility. The distillate
recovered from the gas cooler flows
back into the second stage
evaporator.
The condensate flowing from the
condenser still has a temperature of
approximately 100°C. It is cooled
down to ~50°C in the distillate cooler
where it flows, by gravity, into a
collection tank.
During operation, approximately
10% of the second stage throughput
is continuously withdrawn and
transferred back to the feed tank.
Technical Data
Feed temperature:
Distillate temperature:
Concentrate temperature:
Decontamination factor (DF) for non
volatile contaminants (DF = activity
concentration in the concentrate/activity
concentration in the distillate):
• achievable DF, two stages:
• guaranteed DF, two stages:
• guaranteed DF, one stage:
Medium and energy requirements
per m3 of distillate for two stage
evaporator:
• heating steam (5 bar g.; 159oC):
• cooling water (∆T = 10 K; 4 bar g.):
• electrical energy:
Overall dimensions for rack-mounted
models (length x width x height):
• 0.5 m3/h, two stages:
• 10 m3/h, two stages:
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2007
Compensation for this bleed is
provided by a level-controlled flow of
distillate into the second stage flash
chamber.
Once the target concentration for
the evaporator concentrate in the
first stage forced-circulation loop
has been reached, the evaporation
is momentarily interrupted and the
concentrate is transferred to the
appropriate storage tank. After re-
filling the first stage with fresh feed
stock, a new evaporation campaign
can be started. To achieve a normal
concentration factor, the frequency
of interruption of the evaporator is
about once every four days.
20oC
50oC
< 120oC
5 x 109
1 x 108
1 x 105
1200 kg
68 m3
18 kWh
2.5 x 4 x 6.5 m3
5 x 7 x 9 m3
3
Fig. 1 Evaporation plant at Kola NPP

Fig. 2 Evaporation plant at Kola NPP

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2007
 Fig. 3 Two-Stage forced Circulation Evaporator Simplified Process Flowsheet

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2007
Fig. 4 Evaporators for VEK vitrification plant, Karlsruhe

Fig. 5 VEK evaporators, Karlsruhe

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References
Scope of supply Client Putting in
operation
in
1 Two MAW Evaporators for WAK, Rückbau- und 2006
Vitrification facility Entsorgungs GmbH,
Karlsruhe/Germany
2 Liquid Radioactive Waste Kola NPP, Russia 2006
Concentration System
3 One Stage Evaporator (0.5 m3/h) PKA Gorleben (Pilot Condi- 1997
tioning Plant at Gorleben),
Germany
4 Two Stage Evaporator (2 m3/h) N.E.R.S.A., NPP Super 1996
Phénix, France
5 Single Stage Evaporator (0.2 Uranium Enrichment plant 1985
m3/h) Gronau
6 Two Stage Evaporator (1 m3/h) SNR 300, NPP Kalkar, 1984
Germany
7 Technical leadership for the FZK (Research Center 1981
reconstruction and extension of Karlsruhe), Germany
the evaporator (5 m3/h)
8 Two Stage Evaporator (1.5 m3/h) THTR-300, Hamm-Uentrop, 1980
Germany
9 Two Stage Evaporator (2 m3/h) Gemeinschaftskernkraft- 1975
werk Neckar GmbH,
Germany

67 NUKEM Technologies GmbH

2007
 NUKEM Technologies GmbH
Industriestr. 13
63755 Alzenau
Germany
T +49 (0) 6023 9104
F +49 (0) 6023 911188
E info@nukem.de

NUKEM Technologies GmbH

2007
 Evaporation
of Radioactive Liquids

www.nukemgroup.com