Annular vessel for receivng radioactive solutions containing solids

• US 5,062,458 A
• Filed: 03/29/1990
• Issued: 11/05/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Deutsche Gesellschaft FüR Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH (Bundesrepublik Deutschland)
• Original Assignee: Deutsche Gesellschaft FüR Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH (Bundesrepublik Deutschland)
• Inventors: Rohleder, Norbert, Gobel-Rick, Dietrich, Praxl, Hubert
• Primary Examiner(s): Recla, Henry J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): JACYNA, J CASIMER
• Application Number:
  US07/501,156
• Time in Patent Office: 586 Days
• Field of Search: 141/11, 141/65, 141/67, 141/69, 141/70, 141/85, 141/89-91, 141/94, 141/95, 141/249, 366/101, 366/139, 366/106, 366/107, 134/102, 137/592, 261/77, 366/142
• US Class Current: 141/70
• CPC Class Codes: G21F 9/22 by storage in a tank or other container

Abstract

The invention is directed to an annular vessel for holding radioactive soions which contain solids. The vessel has an inclined bottom and a discharge at the lowest point of the vessel. A plurality of pulsators charged with air are mounted in the ring-shaped interior of the vessel so as to extend into the solution. The pulsators operate to completely and evenly discharge the undissolved solids out of the vessel with the flow of solution and to prevent sedimentation. At their bottom ends, the pulsators have respective outlet nozzles which are arranged parallelly to the vessel bottom and are directed toward the lowest point thereof.

Claims

1. An annular vessel arrangement for receiving a radioactive solution containing solids, the annular vessel arrangement comprising:

an annular vessel including a base wall inclined downwardly to a bottom location and mutually adjacent inner and outer side walls extending upwardly from said base wall to define an annular space therebetween for receiving the radioactive solution therein;

discharge means disposed at said bottom location for discharging the solution from said vessel;

a plurality of pulsators arranged in said annular space one next to the other for receiving respective portions of the radioactive solution therein;

air supply means for supplying air under pressure to said pulsators for acting on said portions of radioactive solution;

each of said pulsators extending downwardly into the solution and having a lower end; and

,

a plurality of outlet nozzles mounted on corresponding ones of the lower ends of said pulsators so as to be substantially parallel to said base wall and positioned so as to direct respective flows of the solution along said base wall toward said bottom location thereby preventing the solids from accumulating on said base wall.

2. The annular vessel arrangement of claim 1, said air supply means including control means operatively connected to said pulsators for adjusting the supply of air to said pulsators independently of each other.

3. The annular vessel arrangement of claim 1, said air supply means including an air supply line connected to said pulsators for supplying air thereto and a vent line also connected to said pulsators;

first and second magnetic valves connected into respective ones of said lines for opening and closing said lines; and

, control means for driving said valves so as to cause one of said valves to open while the other one of said valves is closed.

4. The annular vessel arrangement of claim 3, said control means including means for driving said magnetic valves in time-delayed push-pull operation.

5. An annular vessel arrangement for receiving a radioactive solution containing solids, the annular vessel arrangement comprising:

an annular vessel including a base wall inclined downwardly to a bottom location and mutually adjacent side walls extending upwardly from said base wall to define an annular space for receiving the radioactive solution therein;

discharge means disposed at said bottom location for discharging the solution from said vessel;

a plurality of pulsators arranged in said annular space one next to the other;

air supply means for supplying air under pressure to said pulsators;

each of said pulsators extending downwardly into the solution and having a lower end;

a plurality of outlet nozzles mounted on corresponding ones of the lower ends of said pulsators so as to be parallel to said base wall and positioned so as to direct respective flows of the solution toward said bottom location; and

,

said discharge means including;

a vertically extending suction tube for drawing the solution from said vessel, said suction tube being disposed above said bottom location and having a lower end; and

, funnel-shaped guide plates disposed in surrounding relationship to said lower end for deflecting said flows.

6. An annular vessel arrangement for receiving a radioactive solution containing solids, the annular vessel arrangement comprising:

an annular vessel including a base wall inclined downwardly to a bottom location and mutually adjacent side walls extending upwardly from said base wall to define an annular space for receiving the radioactive solution therein;

discharge means disposed at said bottom location for discharging the solution from said vessel;

a plurality of pulsators arranged in said annular space one next to the other;

air supply means for supplying air under pressure to said pulsators;

each of said pulsators extending downwardly into the solution and having a lower end;

a plurality of outlet nozzles mounted on corresponding ones of the lower ends of said pulsators so as to be parallel to said base wall and positioned so as to direct respective flows of the solution toward said bottom location; and

,

said bottom location being the lowest bottom location in said vessel and said vessel having a highest bottom location;

an additional pulsator disposed above said highest point and having a lower end directly above said highest location; and

,

two outlet nozzles mounted on said lower end of said additional pulsator so as to direct flows of the solution in mutually opposite directions.

7. The annular vessel arrangement of claim 6, said lower end of said additional pulsator having a slot-like opening formed in said lower end so as to be disposed between said two outlet nozzles mounted on said additional pulsator.

8. An annular vessel arrangement for receiving a radioactive solution containing solids, the annular vessel arrangement comprising:

an annular vessel including a base wall inclined downwardly to a bottom location and mutually adjacent side walls extending upwardly from said base wall to define an annular space for receiving the radioactive solution therein;

discharge means disposed at said bottom location for discharging the solution from said vessel;

a plurality of pulsators arranged in said annular space one next to the other;

air supply means for supplying air under pressure to said pulsators;

each of said pulsators extending downwardly into the solution and having a lower end;

a plurality of outlet nozzles mounted on corresponding ones of the lower ends of said pulsators so as to be parallel to said base wall and positioned so as to direct respective flows of the solution toward said bottom location;

said air supply means including an air supply line connected to said pulsators for supplying air thereto and a vent line also connected to said pulsators;

first and second magnetic valves connected into respective ones of said lines for opening and closing said lines; and

, control means for driving said valves so as to cause one of said valves to open while the other one of said valves is closed;

said control means including means for driving said magnetic valves in time-delayed push-pull operation; and

,

said control means further including;

first sensor means for detecting the level of the solution in said vessel;

second sensor means for detecting the density of the solution in said vessel; and

, an electrical pulse generator connected to said first and second sensor means for driving said first magnetic valve with pulses having a pulse length dependent upon said level and said density.

9. An annular vessel arrangement for receiving a radioactive solution containing solids, the annular vessel arrangement comprising:

an annular vessel including a base wall inclined downwardly to a bottom location and mutually adjacent side walls extending upwardly from said base wall to define an annular space for receiving the radioactive solution therein;

discharge means disposed at said bottom location for discharging the solution from said vessel;

a plurality of pulsators arranged in said annular space one next to the other;

air supply means for supplying air under pressure to said pulsators;

each of said pulsators extending downwardly into the solution and having a lower end;

a plurality of outlet nozzles mounted on corresponding ones of the lower ends of said pulsators so as to be parallel to said base wall and positioned so as to direct respective flows of the solution toward said bottom location;

said air supply means including an air supply line connected to said pulsators for supplying air thereto and a vent line also connected to said pulsators;

first and second magnetic valves connected into respective ones of said lines for opening and closing said lines; and

, control means for driving said valves so as to cause one of said valves to open while the other one of said valves is closed; and

,

said control means including;

first sensor means for detecting the level of the solution in said vessel;

second sensor means for detecting the density of the solution in said vessel; and

, an electrical pulse generator connected to said first and second sensor means for driving said first magnetic valve with pulses having a pulse length dependent upon said level and said density.