This manuscript describes the design, characterization, and operational range of a test stand and high-output aerosol generator developed to evaluate the performance of 30 x 30 x 29 cm(3) nuclear grade high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters under variable, highly controlled conditions. The test stand system is operable at volumetric flow rates ranging from 1.5 to 12 standard m(3)/min. Relative humidity levels are controllable from 5%-90% and the temperature of the aerosol stream is variable from ambient to 150 degrees C. Test aerosols are produced through spray drying source material solutions that are introduced into a heated stainless steel evaporation chamber through an air-atomizing nozzle. Regulation of the particle size distribution of the aerosol challenge is achieved by varying source solution concentrations and through the use of a postgeneration cyclone. The aerosol generation system is unique in that it facilitates the testing of standard HEPA filters at and beyond rated media velocities by consistently providing, into a nominal flow of 7 standard m(3)/min, high mass concentrations (approximately 25 mg/m(3)) of dry aerosol streams having count mean diameters centered near the most penetrating particle size for HEPA filters (120-160 nm). Aerosol streams that have been generated and characterized include those derived from various concentrations of KCl, NaCl, and sucrose solutions. Additionally, a water insoluble aerosol stream in which the solid component is predominantly iron (III) has been produced. Multiple ports are available on the test stand for making simultaneous aerosol measurements upstream and downstream of the test filter. Types of filter performance related studies that can be performed using this test stand system include filter lifetime studies, filtering efficiency testing, media velocity testing, evaluations under high mass loading and high humidity conditions, and determination of the downstream particle size distributions.
The Oak Ridge Research Reactor (ORRR) was operated as an isotope production and irradiation facility from March 1958 until March 1987. The US Department of Energy permanently shut down and removed the fuel from the ORRR in 1987. The water level must be maintained in the ORRR pool as shielding for radioactive components still located in the pool. The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Environmental Management (DOE EM) needs to decontaminate and demolish the ORRR as part of the Oak Ridge cleanup program. In February 2004, increased pit corrosion was noted in the pool’s 6-mm (1/4")-thick aluminum liner in the section nearest where the radioactive components are stored. If pit corrosion has significantly penetrated the aluminum liner, then DOE EM must accelerate its decontaminating and decommissioning (D&D) efforts or look for alternatives for shielding the irradiated components. The goal of Mississippi State University’s Institute for Clean Energy Technology (ICET) was to provide a determination of the extent and depth of corrosion and to conduct thermodynamic modeling to determine how further corrosion can be inhibited. Results from the work will facilitate ORNL in making reliable disposition decisions. ICET’s inspection approach was to quantitatively estimate the amount of corrosion by using Fouriertransform profilometry (FTP). FTP is a non-contact 3-D shape measurement technique. By projecting a fringe pattern onto a target surface and observing its deformation due to surface irregularities from a different view angle, the system is capable of determining the height (depth) distribution of the target surface, thus reproducing the profile of the target accurately. ICET has previously demonstrated that its FTP system can quantitatively estimate the volume and depth of removed and residual material to high accuracy. The results of our successful initial deployment of a submergible FTP system into the ORRR pool are reported here as are initial thermodynamic modeling results.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.