Nuclear
Introduction
Over 450 nuclear power stations exist in the world delivering steam and electricity to wide collections of users. The power is generated by superheated steam which obtains its heat via the controlled degradation of nuclear material such as Uranium. These power stations are characterised by being very expensive to build due to the need to contain the radioactivity, but generating relatively low cost electricity that is not subject to the fluctuations of the oil and gas prices. Due to the radioactivity the industry is highly regulated.
The industry faces a number of challenges:-
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A perceived image that nuclear power is dangerous
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Disposal issues with the spent fuel
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Very difficult to maintain due to very restricted access due to radioactivity
The industry does however generate “green” electricity as no CO2 is generated. For this reason and the increasing cost of other alternatives the world is experiencing a boom in the building of new nuclear power stations which will continue for many years.
The measurement challenges fall into two areas:-
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Measuring inside vessels where no internal access is possible
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Measurement of nuclear slurries that may be highly radioactive
Solution
Electrical process tomography is a valuable measurement tool as the sensors in proximity to the process are simply electrodes with a support substrate with no moving parts or elements which are damaged by radioactivity.
Process tomography can be used in a wide variety of unit processes in the processing of nuclear waste and handling of nuclear materials. For example:
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mixing, where it is necessary to ensure that slurries or other systems are well distributed in a vessel
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flow, of slurries, where it is necessary to determine solids concentrations and flow characteristics
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separation, for example determining the performance of filters and packed beds, liquid-liquid separation (organic / aqueous separation), as well as more complex processes such as monitoring of vortex mixing
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reactions, such as crystallisation
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Nuclear Waste Management and characterisation of waste, such as slurries and sludge
