Development of a φ20 mm annular centrifugal contactor for the hot test of the total TRPO process

Centrifugal contactors have many advantages and are favored for reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel and partitioning of high-level waste. A new phi 20 mm annular centrifugal contactor for laboratory scale has been developed for the hot test of the total TRPO process. A modular design, a multi-stage group housing design and ceramic bearings are adopted in the new centrifugal contactor. A sampling system and a rotor speed acquisition and monitoring system for phi 20 mm annular centrifugal contactors have been developed for tests in the hot cell. The hydraulic performance of both a single-stage centrifugal contactor and a three-stage cascade has been studied. The nominal throughput of the single-stage centrifugal contactor can reach 13.5 1/h under suitable operation conditions for H2O-kerosene system. The hydraulic performance of the three-stage cascade is also good. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.