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