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RADIOTRACER APPLICATIONS IN INDUSTRY
AND ENVIRONMENT
H.J.Pant
Isotope and Radiation Application Division
Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai, India
ID: B11-03
• Leak detection in heat exchangers and buried pipelines
• Flow rate measurement
• Mixing time measurement
• Residence time distribution measurement
• Sediment transport investigations in ports
• Effluent dispersion in coastal waters
• Wear/corrosion rate measurements (TLA Technique)
• Characterization and management of oil fields
• Radioactive particle tracking technique
• Adsorption studies
COMMONLY CARRIED OUT RADIOTRACER
APPLICATIONS IN INDUSTRY AND ENVIRONMENT
D5
D3
D7 D4
D6
Effluent in Feed out
Effluent out
HE1 HE2
Radiotracer injection
D2
D1
1300 1350 1400 1450 15000
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
Co
un
ts /
2 S
eco
nd
s
Time (s)
D2 - E1 Feed Inlet
D3- E1 Feed outlet
D4 - E1 Eflluent Outlet
Leak Peak of E-1
1300 1350 1400 1450 15000
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
Leak Peak of E-2
Time (s)
Co
un
ts /
2 S
eco
nd
s
D5 - E2 Feed Inlet
D6- E2 Feed outlet
D7 - E2 Effluent Outlet
Both the heat exchangers were found to be leaking. The leak rate was
estimated to be about 0.8% and 0.6% in exchanger E1 and E2
respectively.
(Alfa Laval Packinox reactor feed/effluent heat) exchanger
Leak Detection in a Welded Plate Heat Exchanger
Radiotracer: Br-82 as paradibromobenzene
Flow rate measurements in large diameter
Thermal Power Plant)
Pipeline: Dia. 3.6 m
Vertical turbine pumps
Installed flow meter
Schematic diagram and experimental setup
21211 CQQCQ
Radiotracer: Iodine-131 as KI
(half life: 8 days, gamma
energy: 365 keV)
Activity: 350-650 mCi
Radiotracer
injection
vessel
Results of flow rate measurements
Experiment 1 (Unit-2, P2A)
Sample
No.
Q1
(ml/min)
C1
(Counts/2 Mins.)
C2
(Counts/2 Mins.)
Q2
(m3/s)
Mean Q2
(m3/s)
S1 220.8 3.096 x 1010 8044 14.1
14.10.43 S2 220.8 3.096 x 1010 7999 14.18
S3 220.8 3.096 x 1010 8089 14.02
Experiment 2 (Unit-2, P2A+P2B)
S1 185.1 6.626 x 1010 8309 24.5
24.390.78 S2 185.1 6.626 x 1010 8181 24.88
S3 185.1 6.626 x 1010 8553 23.8
Experiment 3 (Unit-1, P1A)
S1 188.2 5.867 x 1010 11863 15.45
15.430.46 S2 188.2 5.867 x 1010 11861 15.45
S3 188.2 5.867 x 1010 11902 15.4
Experiment 4 (Unit-1, P1A+P1B)
S1 187.2 3.755 x 1010 4248 27.47
27.510.82 S2 187.2 3.755 x 1010 4243 27.5
S3 187.2 3.755 x 1010 4230 27.58
Mixing Study in a
Thermal Stratification Test Facility (Mixing of water to hot layer of water)
Thermal Stratification Test Facility
Experimental setup for Run1-5 (Front side monitoring)
Experimental for Run 7 (lateral side monitoring)
Experimental setup for Run 6 (Front side monitoring)
•Technium-99m as sodium pertechnatate (0.5-1mCi/test)
0 1000 2000 3000 40000
200
400
600
800
1000
1200R
ad
iotr
ace
r co
nce
ntr
atio
n (
Co
un
ts /
20
s)
Time (Sec)
D2-Level-1
D3-Level-1
D4-Level-2
D5-Level-2
D6-Level-3
D7-Level-3
D8-Level-4
D9-Level-4
Run 2: Cold water, circulation only in lower section
Mixing time~17 Min.
0 8000 16000 24000 32000 40000
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
Run 4:Cold water circulation
in lower section and hot water
circulation in upper section
Ra
dio
tra
ce
r co
nce
ntr
atio
n (
Co
un
ts /
20
s) D2-Level-1(Cold layer)
D3-Level-1(Cold layer)
D4-Level-2(Cold layer)
D5-Level-2(Cold layer)
D6-Level-3(Hot layer)
D7-Level-3(Hot layer)
D8-Level-4(Hot layer)
D9-Level-4(Hot layer)
Time (Sec)
Mixing time: ~15 hours
0 5000 10000 150000
900
1800
2700
3600
Run 5: Only cold water and no circulation
(Diffussion)
D2-Level-1(Cold layer)
D3-Level-1(Cold layer)
D4-Level-2(Cold layer)
D5-Level-2(Cold layer)
D6-Level-3(Cold layer)
D7-Level-3( Cold layer)
D8-Level-4( Cold layer)
D9-Level-4(Cold layer)
Time (Sec)
Ra
dio
tra
ce
r co
nce
ntr
atio
n (
Co
un
ts /
20
s)
Condition Mixing time
Cold water with circulation in bottom and top section
0.5 h
Circulation of cold (bottom) and hot (top) layers (Normal operating condition)
15 h
Cold water without any circulation (Diffusion)
1.7 h (bottom) 2.8 h (Top)
The radiotracer study confirmed
existence of the thermocline
formed during normal operation. The thermocline was effective to reduce
the transport rate of radiotracer from the
cold water layer to the hot water layer
Mixing time~2.8 h
Residence Time Distribution Measurements in an Industrial Visbreaker in a Refinery
Feed
Heater (411-450oC)
390-430oC
Visbreaker
Fractionator CW
Visbreaker residue
Gas + Gasoline
Radiotracer
injection Point
D1
D2
Data acquisition system
Radiotracer: Br-82 as pdbb, Activity: 5 mCi/test
Production of more gaseous product, suspecting backmixing
Q2
Q1,1 Q2, 2
(Bypassed fraction)
N-1
1
2
N
Axially dispersed Plug flow component
Tanks with stagnant volume (Back mixed fraction)
Q2
0 100 200 300 4000.00
0.01
0.02
0.03
0.04
0.05
0.06
Experimental MRT 57 min.
Model simulated (Tmin.
No
rma
lise
d t
race
r co
nce
ntr
atio
n (
s-1)
Time(s)
RUN 1
0 50 100 150 200 250 3000.00
0.02
0.04
0.06
0.08RUN 4
Experimental MRT 48 min.
Model simulated (Tmin.
No
rma
lise
d t
race
r co
nce
ntr
atio
n (
s-1)
Time (min)
RTD Analysis
Block diagram of the model used
Backmixing
Backmixing
Run No.
T (oC )
P (Kg
/cm2 )
Q (m3/h)
(min.)
(min.)
Model Parameters
Plug flow component
Tank in series with stagnant volume exchange component
Total MRT
p (min.)
Pe Qp a (min.)
m (min.)
N K Qbm T (min.)
1 411 6.4 60 37.7 57 9.7 7 0.5 53 12 2 1.0 0.5 58 2 443 5.8 54 41.9 54 8.6 5 0.5 40 20 2 1.3 0.5 51 3 443 7.2 64 35.3 50 7.5 7 0.5 33 17 2 2 0.5 54 4 448 7.2 68 33.2 48 6 4 0.5 27 5 1 2 0.5 44 5 445 7.5 72 31.4 47 4.4 11 0.38 21 20 1 2 0.62 44 6 445 7.5 72 31.4 47.5 4 11 0.34 22 18 1 2 0.66 45
T: temperature in the visbreaker unit, P: pressure in the visbreaker unit, Q: feed rate at inlet of the visbreaker, : theoretical mean residence time, : Experimentalmean residence time, p: MRT in plug flow component, Pe: Peleclet number, a: MRT in main stream (Tank in series with exchange component), m: time constant for exchange between two volumes, N: Tank number, K: relative volume of stagnant zone with respect to active zone, Q1 : Flow fraction in the bypass stream (plug flow component), Q2: Flow fraction in main stream (Tank in series exchange with stagnant zone), T:
Overall model mean residence time
Results of RTD investigation
Wear process can be prolonged by efficient selection of lubricant
Thin layer activation analysis (TLA) offers a sensitive and rapid
method to quantify wear rate of automobile parts
Proton beam
Aluminium Window
Vacuum chamber
Aluminium Collimator
Faraday cup
Metal Target
Current meter
Ion beam irradiation
0 50 100 150 200
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1.0
Rela
tive r
em
nan
t acti
vit
y
Thickness loss (m)
Calibration curve
56Fe(p,n)56Co Half-life:77.3 days,
Gamma energies:846.77 Mev (100%), 1238.28 Mev (67)
Useful irradiation thickness: 240 m
Yield: 2 x 104 Bq A-1 h-1 m-1
Cross section at 13 Mev: 392 mb
Investigation of Anti-wear Performance of
Automobile Lubricants Using TLA Technique
0 50 100 150 200 250
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
Th
ickn
ess lo
ss (m
)
Time (minute)
L1
L2
L3
L4
0 100 200 300 400
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
Wear
rate
(n
m/m
inu
te)
Speed (rpm)
L1, 30 KgF
L1, 40 KgF
L4, 30 KgF
L4, 40 KgF
Wear depth versus time plot for L1-L4 at 30 KgF load and 200 rpm speed
Wear rate versus speed plot for L1 and L4 at different loads
Wear measurements of disc gears were studied in presence of four different lubricants (L1, L2, L3, L4)
L4 was identified: having best anti-wear behavior for all the load and rotation speeds considered
Air in
Air out
Water in
Water out
796 mm
1260 mm796 mm
Front View Side Viewz
r
Objective: Assessment of mixing of “Media” elements
Radioactive Particle, Sc-46, 1 mCi
Radioactive Particle Tracking Technique in a Bioreactor
Reactor volume: 630 L
Radiotracer particle (Scandium-46 glass particle Activity~1 mCi)
Implementation of RPT in a Bioreactor
Calibration
device
Calibration
rod for
vertical
positioning
RFB
reactor
Tracer
particle
Detectors used: 22, Data acquired for 15 days at each conditions at an interval of 20 mS, Experiments conducted at four different conditions
Air 12.5 m3/h water 7.76 m3 /day
Air 11.5 m3/h water 10 m3 /day Air 12.5 m3/h water 10 m3 /day
Air 11.5 m3/h water 7.76 m3 /day
Occurrences of Tracer Particle along Axis
G1L1 G2L1
G1L2 G2L2
Air 11.5 m3/h water 7.76 m3 /day Air 12.5 m3/h water 7.76 m3 /day
Air 12.5 m3/h water 10 m3 /day Air 11.5 m3/h water 10 m3 /day
Trace of Particle Movement in axial Direction
G2L2
G1L1 G2L1
G1L2
Conclusions from RPT Study
• At low flows, media tends to spend more time at the inlet and less at exit. At higher flow rates, movement is more uniform and relative times spent at inlet and exit are comparable.
• Media tend to recirculate along the inner walls of the reactor
• About 30% volume of the reactor was underutilized (dead).
• Flow of media particles was tracked and characterize. The movement of media particle with respect to time and space helped to visualize the flow pattern of media particles.
• The results of the RPT investigation helped Engineers to improve the design of the bioreactor and hence its efficiency.
IAEA/RCA/RTC On “Radioactive Particle Tracking Technique for Investigating Process Hydrodynamics” October 17-21, 2011, New Delhi India
Thank You
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