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Nuclear

AtkinsRéalis and SpinChem have a collaboration agreement to deploy Spinionic® solutions in the nuclear sector. Spinionic® is a registered trademark owned by AtkinsRéalis.

As industries expand to meet the demands of mankind, the reliance on nuclear energy likewise increases considerably to fulfil energy needs. However, the nuclear power industry generates waste that is critical to be taken care of. This waste is classified according to radioactivity as either: low-level, intermediate-level, or high-level. Each effluent has its own characteristics, which determine whether it must be disposed, recycled, or stored on-site. It is important that the nuclear waste is treated to ensure that nuclear power remains a viable choice and a key contributor to the energy mix for future generations.

For the treatment of liquid waste, several well-established technologies exist. One such technology that aims to increase efficiency and to reduce cost is Spinionic™.

 

Spinionic™

Spinionic™ is a non-nuclear solution to de-contaminate liquids and refers to the tested and patented Rotating Bed Reactor (RBR). Its’ design is flexible and can be used in situ for a range of applications such as to treat tanks of radioactive waste, or to processes continuous waste streams. It can be used as a pre-treatment upstream of installed equipment to remove impurities, and also as a polisher downstream of existing equipment.

 

Technology

The RBR technology enables to remove radioactive or unwanted elements from wastewater or other fluids, while simultaneously improving the efficiency of the clean-up process through better use of the media. Using the straightforward RBR methodology results in a faster process, higher decontamination factors, and/or reduced generation of secondary waste. In addition, the RBR extends the lifetime of solid-phase particles by minimizing grinding and attrition, while at the same time simplifying the solid phase collection, recycling, or disposal.

 

Availability in various sizes and volumes

The RBR can range in size from less than one liter to over 100 liters of media (solid phase) capacity depending on application (drums, totes, large tanks, ponds, fuel pools, sumps, or large area basins).

The RBR technology was first used in the pharmaceutical industry to improve chemical processing of liquids. Subsequently, it has found its way into the nuclear industry were it similarly improves processing efficiency. To accelerate the deployment of this technology, SpinChem plans to further mature Spinionic™ into a range of products that address the challenges of nuclear waste treatment.

Remote controlled raft for treatment of large volumes of water

Industries that generate large quantities of liquid waste, e.g. the nuclear energy or mining industries, are familiar with the accumulation of water in ponds, both indoor and outdoor. The treatment of the water necessary for release can seem as an insurmountable challenge, both based on the sheer volume and on the hazards involved. Pumping the waste through a column would typically involve high pressure, while any accidental release or spillage must be avoided.

Activated carbon decolorization, fast and without filtration

Activated carbon is a common choice for removing impurities or capturing compounds from a product batch. However, the carbon may itself foul the product and be difficult to separate. The rotating bed reactor offers a clean way to deploy activated carbon that removes the need for time-consuming filtration and extends the lifetime of the solid phase.  

Flexible deployment with the plug-in rotating bed reactor

The rotating bed reactor (RBR) is a combined tool for chemical transformations and liquid transfer operations, reducing or eliminating the need for external pumps. Filled with a catalyst or adsorbent, and rotated by a motor, the RBR brings the liquid to be processed in contact with the solid-phase at high flow rates. Due to the high flow rate generated, the RBR can not only treat the liquid in the reaction vessel, but also transfer it into the vessel for processing.

Automatic processes for efficient production

Automation of large-scale processes is often a requirement for economically viable chemical processes. The benefits of scale are best harvested at high throughputs and 24/7 operation. This leads to the demand for process automation, and the elimination of hands-on work.

Dramatically improved deionization with a rotating bed reactor

Removing ions from liquids is common in industry and society. Ions are remediated in applications ranging from the production of pharmaceuticals to the treatment of communal waste streams. Likewise, the nuclear energy sector deals with the removal of ionic radioactive substances from water on a daily basis.

Decolourization more efficient in rotating bed reactor than in fixed bed reactor

A fixed bed reactor (FBR), also known as a packed bed reactor or column, is a traditional technology for processes such as adsorption or heterogeneous catalysis. Achieving the required level of purification or conversion means running the liquid through the reactor at a sufficiently low flow rate, and the throughput of a fixed bed reactor is therefore often limited.

Rotating bed reactor faster than stirred tank reactor for a mass transfer limited reaction

Mass transfer limited reactions can create problems for applications like the synthesis of chemical products or the manufacture of active pharmaceutical ingredients. Poor yields, high side-product formation or impractically long reactions are potential issues. Efficient reactor design can greatly improve the mass transfer and remove the limitation to a minimum.

Processing an IBC with a rotating bed reactor

The IBC, also called “tote”, is a common storage container in many industries. In a chemical manufacturing plant or a waste treatment facility there might be hundreds of these or more, with a capacity of approximately 1,000 liters (275 gallons). Whether they are filled with raw material, finished product or waste, the transfer of liquids to and from IBCs can be cumbersome or even hazardous.

Removing organic molecules from large volumes of water

Organic molecules contaminate many products and waste streams, and are a common target for remediation. Activated carbon is a widely used adsorbent to capture organic molecules from aqueous solutions (like wastewater), and offers a very wide range of applications thanks to its unspecific method of adsorption. At the same time, activated carbon can cause fouling of another kind by the particles breaking down into smaller fines. This dust-like material is very cumbersome to remove from the liquid afterwards.

Deployment of Rotating Bed Reactors at Industrial Scale Person in PPE inspecting a rotating bed reactor.

Ion removal in 7000 L of water using the SpinChem® RBR S100

Water with elevated ion concentrations is a common challenge in industries such as the nuclear energy sector. Whether it’s ordinary heavy metals, radionuclides, or any other ions, these can normally be captured by a properly selected ion-exchange resin. The deployment of the resin can however be a challenge, especially at large scale.

In-tank deployment of large scale rotating bed reactor

How can this process be scaled up? This is perhaps the most important question to consider when developing a chemical process. If it cannot be done on large scale, all the time and resources invested in laboratory work will be unrewarded. Pumping liquids through massive columns or separating solids from a large batch can be unsurmountable challenges that bring a halt to a new project before it has even left the starting blocks.

Mass transfer revolutionized

The SpinChem rotating bed reactor (RBR) can eliminate poor mass transfer in heterogeneous reactions during chemical syntheses and biotransformations, preserve catalyst activity, and facilitate recycling of solid phases. This brochure presents our technology and its applications.

Remediation of wastewater stored in High-Integrity Container (HIC)

Liquid waste is generated by many sources at a nuclear energy plant, during both operation and decommissioning. The waste is sometimes stored in high-integrity containers (HICs) or similar vessels, where it occupies valuable space and poses a liability that eventually needs to be dealt with.

Rotating bed reactors completely avoid grinding of molecular sieves

When using of solid-phase catalysts or adsorbents in reactors, the physical degradation of the materials is a common problem. The traditional stirred tank reactor inflicts mechanical damage to the particles, which causes attrition, fines that are difficult to separate, and loss of the functionality of the solid-phase.

Exploring the effectiveness of different types of activated carbon

Contaminations in liquids can often be removed using an adsorbent, such as granular activated carbon (GAC). The best choice of adsorbent is unique for each contaminant, and the effectiveness depends on many parameters. Failing to investigate these can lead to unnecessarily high material costs and long processing times.

Simple scale-up using flexible reactors

Research and development quickly takes new directions, and the requirements on a laboratory may vary with every new project. Limiting yourself to equipment with a narrow scope of conditions and applications may become expensive, since new equipment must be acquired for anything out of scope. With budgets quickly consumed by other projects, the need for new equipment may mean significant delays and a reduced capability to take on emerging opportunities.

Using a rotating bed reactor in different liquid volumes

Research and development quickly takes new directions, and the requirements on a laboratory may vary with every new project. Limiting yourself to equipment with a narrow scope of conditions and applications may become expensive in the long run. The need for new equipment may inflict delays and affect your capability to take on emerging opportunities.

How the loading of solids influences reaction speed

Sometimes you don’t want to pack the entire rotating bed reactor full with your solid-phase material. Fully loading might simply be wasteful, or you may want to experiment with your reaction conditions. But how does the amount of solids in the rotating bed reactor influence the reaction performance? Can you use only 10% of the full capacity?