INL RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT

Science

Pilot Scale Fluidized Bed Testing

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Overview

The INL has 50 years of

experience in performing pilot

scale tests that support the

design and operation of

fluidized bed mixed waste

treatment processes. During

this time, fluidized bed

calcination has been refined

and used at the INL to

evaporate, denitrate and

solidify mixed waste and

uranyl nitrate to produce a

granular solid material. Waste

products have less volume

and are less hazardous than

original wastes.

The most recent experiments

and demonstrations have been

performed regarding INL’s

traditional fluidized bed

calcination to more efficiently

treat mixed waste and meet

new regulatory standards –

and to evaluate fluidized bed

steam reforming of mixed

waste as an alternative to

other thermal processes.

Unique Test Facilities

The INL uses two fluidized

bed test systems for proof-ofconcept and demonstration

testing. One lab-scale 8-

centimeter (3.25-inch)

diameter system is located at

the INL Engineering and

Demonstration Facility, and a

larger 15-centimeter (6-inch)

diameter system is located at

the Science and Technology

Applications Research

The Idaho National Laboratory has a unique capability to demonstrate the viability of

fluidized bed technology for a variety of applications, including radioactive and

hazardous waste treatment. This capability includes two scaled-systems with supporting off-gas treatment, continuous emissions monitoring, and analytical chemistry systems.

(STAR) Center in Idaho Falls.

Subcon-tractor Science

Applications International

Corporation manages this

facility and operates this

DOE-owned system under

INL’s direction.

Both calcination and steam

reforming tests using nonradioactive materials have

been conducted to simulate

the treatment of various

mixed and radioactive waste

streams – including INL’s

highly acidic sodium-bearing

waste (SBW), Savannah

River Site’s salt waste, and

Hanford’s low-activity waste

(LAW). The resulting products are primarily carbonates

or almininosilicates of the

metal cations in the feed. The

most recent steam reforming

tests have demonstrated

compliance with EPA’s

Hazardous Waste Combustor

(HWC) Maximum Achievable

Control Technology (MACT)

regulations.

Testing Apparatus

System Description

The larger pilot scale system

at the STAR facility includes

several primary subsystems

including:

1. feed systems/equipment

for gases, liquids/slurry,

and small solids,

The smaller of INL’s two

fluidized test bed systems is

an 8-centimeter vessel

contained within a laboratory

hood.

Both Facilities

are permitted to

process hazardous

waste simulants
INL RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT

Management Contact

Nolan Olson

Process Engineering

Department

Nolan.Olson@inl.gov

(208) 533-4161

Technical Contacts

Richard Boardman

Richard.Boardman@inl.gov

(208) 526-3083

Nick Soelberg

Nicholas.Soelberg@inl.gov

(208) 526-6923

Doug Marshall

dwm1@inel.gov

(208) 526-3657

INL R&D

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05-GA50157

2. the fluidized bed reactor

vessel consisting of the

bed bottom receiver and

fluidizing gas distributor

section, fluidized bed

section, upper larger

diameter freeboard (bed

particulate disengaging)

section, and the vessel wall

external heating system,

3. the process product/solids

collection and management systems,

4. the off-gas treatment/

emissions-control systems,

and

5. the process monitoring and

control system.

The system occupies a space

of approximately 12 meters

by 12 meters in area and 6

meters in height. All wetted

components are constructed

from corrosion resistant

materials. Equipment and

piping are fabricated from

300-series stainless steel

except for the reformer vessel,

which is fabricated from

Inconel 800H. The system can

be manually controlled or

automatically controlled using

a Process Logic Controller

(PLC) system with multiple

human-machine interface

(HMI) stations.

The STAR Center provides

for all necessary test system

utilities and support services

including electrical power,

water, compressed air,

nitrogen, oxygen, various

specialty calibration gases for

continuous emissions monitoring systems, test system

operations, permits, and

materials/waste management.

There are several available

supporting off-gas treatment

unit operations that include:

• Cyclone for particulate

removal.

• Sintered metal filters for

small particulate (2mm).

• Wet venturi scrubbing.

• A natural gas-fired thermal

oxidizer for oxidation of

hydrogen, carbon monoxide, methane, other

hydrocarbons, and NOx

destruction.

• Mist elimination.

• Granular activated carbon

filter/sorption bed.

An extremely unique feature

is the continuous emissions

monitoring system (CEMS).

This stand-alone system is

capable of sampling, conditioning, and analyzing for O2

,

CO, CO2, H2, CH4, NO, NO2,

HCl, SO2, total hydrocarbons,

elemental and oxidized Hg at

locations of choice.

Idaho National

Laboratory

P.O. Box 1625

Idaho Falls, ID 83415

The fluidized bed system

configuration, shown above,

consists of the fluidized bed

vessel (above the steel drum on

the left side), a cyclone (located

above the steel drum in the

middle), and a heated sintered

metal filter (above the steel drum

located on the right side).

These three photos show the Hg monitoring system equipment and

aspects of on-site analytical capability.