Patent Number: 051397340
Section: claims

1. A resin processing system for use in chemical decontamination of nuclear reactor primary systems comprising: a fresh resin supply tank at least large enough to hold sufficient resin for performing a particular decontamination step;  a batching tank sized to hold an amount of resin mixed with water sufficient to fill a single demineralizer resin bed;  a fresh resin pump connected to the fresh resin supply tank and the batching tank capable of transporting fresh resin from the fresh resin supply tank to the batching tank;  a plurality of demineralizers wherein process fluids are demineralized;  a resin feed pump connected to the batching tank capable of transporting fresh resin from the batching tank to demineralizer resin bed;  a movable connection means connecting the resin feed pump to one of the plurality of demineralizers;  a sluice water supply tank;  a sluice water pump connected to the sluice water supply tank and the plurality of demineralizers capable of pumping sluice water to each of the plurality of demineralizers;  a spent resin storage tank connected to each of said plurality of demineralizers to receive sluice water and spent resin from the demineralizers;  a recycle pump connected to an outlet of the spent resin storage tank and having a pump outlet connected to the sluice water supply tank; and  a screen at the outlet of the spent resin storage tank to retain spent resin within the spent resin storage tank while allowing sluice water to be recycled.  a second, unscreened outlet in the spent resin storage tank connected to the recycle pump;  disposal means connected to the pump outlet of the recycle pump; and  means for selectively directing material pumped by the recycle pump to either the sluice water supply tank or to the disposal means.  a fresh resin supply tank at least large enough to hold sufficient resin for performing a particular decontamination step;  a batching tank sized to hold an amount of resin mixed with water sufficient to fill a single demineralizer resin bed;  a fresh resin pump connected to the fresh resin supply tank and the batching tank capable of transporting fresh resin from the fresh resin supply tank to the batching tank;  a plurality of demineralizers wherein process fluids are demineralized;  a resin feed pump connected to the batching tank capable of transporting fresh resin from the batching tank to demineralizer resin bed;  a movable connection means connecting the resin feed pump to one of the plurality of demineralizers;  a sluice water supply tank;  a sluice water pump connected to the sluice water supply tank and the plurality of demineralizers capable of pumping sluice water to each of the plurality of demineralizers;  a spent resin storage tank connected to each of said plurality of demineralizers to receive sluice water and spent resin from the demineralizers;  a recycle pump connected to an outlet of the spent resin storage tank and having a pump outlet connected to the sluice water supply tank; and  a screen at the outlet of the spent resin storage tank to retain spent resin within the spent resin storage tank while allowing sluice water to be recycled.  a second, unscreened outlet in the spent resin storage tank connected to the recycle pump;  disposal means connected to the pump outlet of the recycle pump; and  means for selectively directing material pumped by the recycle pump to either the sluice water supply tank or to the disposal means. 2. The resin processing system of claim 1 wherein one or more of the fresh resin pump, the resin feed pump, and the recycle pump are air-operated diaphragm pumps. 3. The resin processing system of claim 1 further comprising a sluice water filter located between the sluice water pump and the plurality of demineralizers. 4. The resin processing system of claim 1 further comprising: 5. The resin processing system of claim 1 wherein a filtrate collection tank of a chemical decontamination sub-system of the nuclear reactor primary system is connected to the spent resin storage tank. 6. The resin processing system of claim 1 wherein the sluice water supply tank and the sluice water pump are connected to a contamination waste tank of the nuclear reactor primary system. 7. A nuclear reactor having a primary system wherein the primary system has a chemical decontamination sub-system including a resin processing system comprising: 8. The nuclear reactor of claim 7 wherein one or more of the fresh resin pump, the resin feed pump, and the recycle pump are air-operated diaphragm pumps. 9. The nuclear reactor of claim 7 wherein the resin processing system further comprises a sluice water filter located between the sluice water pump and the plurality of demineralizers. 10. The nuclear reactor of claim 7 wherein the resin processing system further comprises: 11. The nuclear reactor of claim 7 wherein a filtrate collection tank of the chemical decontamination sub-system is connected to the spent resin storage tank. 12. The nuclear reactor of claim 7 wherein the sluice water supply tank and the sluice water pump are connected to a decontamination waste tank of the chemical decontamination sub-system.