Nuclear Engineering and Technology

Korean Nuclear Society (한국원자력학회)
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ANALYSIS OF EQUILIBRIUM METHODS FOR THE COMPUTATIONAL MODEL OF THE MARK-IV ELECTR OREFINER

  • Cumberland, Riley (North Carolina State University, Department of Nuclear Engineering) ;
  • Hoover, Robert (University of Idaho, Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, Nuclear Engineering Program, Center for Advanced Energy Studies) ;
  • Phongikaroon, Supathorn (University of Idaho, Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, Nuclear Engineering Program, Center for Advanced Energy Studies) ;
  • Yim, Man-Sung (North Carolina State University, Department of Nuclear Engineering)
  • Received : 2011.01.26
  • Accepted : 2011.04.23
  • Published : 2011.12.25
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Abstract

Two computational methods for determining equilibrium states for the Mark-IV electrorefiner (ER) have been assessed to improve the current computational electrorefiner model developed at University of Idaho. Both methods were validated against measured data to better understand their effects on the calculation of the equilibrium compositions in the ER. In addition, a sensitivity study was performed on the effect of specific unknown activity coefficients-including sodium in molten cadmium, zirconium in molten cadmium, and sodium chloride in molten LiCl-KCl. Both computational methods produced identical results, which stayed within the 95% confidence interval of the experimental data. Furthermore, sensitivity to unavailable activity coefficients was found to be low (a change in concentration of less than 3 ppm).

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References

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