Radionuclides stored in a radioactive waste repository over a long period of time might be leached through the barriers such as engineered rock (cement) and natural rock (granite). Organic complexing agents such as ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) and isosaccharinic acid (ISA) may also influence the mobility of radionuclides. In this study, a continuous fixed-column reactor packed with engineered and natural rocks was designed to investigate the effect of organic complexing agents on cesium mobility through cement and granite under anaerobic conditions. The influent flow rate of the mixed solution (organic complexing agent and cesium) at the column bottom was 0.1 mL/min, while that of groundwater was 0.2 mL/min, which was introduced between cement and granite layers in the middle of the column. The hydraulic properties such as diffusion coefficient and retardation factor were derived by a bromide tracer test. The effects of different operating parameters, such as initial cesium concentrations, initial EDTA or ISA concentrations, and bed size, on the cesium adsorption were investigated. The Thomas, Adams-Bohart, and Yoon-Nelson models were applied to the experimental data to predict the breakthrough curves using non-linear regression. These results suggest that organic complexing agents such as EDTA and ISA significantly influence the mobility of cesium in the barriers, indicating that the presence of complexing agents enhances the migration of cesium to the geosphere.
In this study, to apply hydrogen energy to ship engine and to generate effective hydrogen production, we investigated the effects of high temperature H₂SO₄ feed rate and cooling water rate to pump parts with fixed frequency needed to reciprocate motion and a simulation was conducted at each condition. In the fixed frequency and cooling water inlet flow rate of 0.5 Hz and 3.9 kg/s, we changed the high temperature H₂SO₄ flow rate to 47.46 kg/s (it is 105 % of 45.2 kg/s), 49.72 kg/s (110 %), and 51.98 kg/s (115 %). Also, at 0.5 Hz and 45.2 kg/s of frequency and high temperature H₂SO₄ flow, the thermal hydraulic analysis was performed at the condition of 95 % (3.705 kg/s), 90 % (3.51 kg/s), and 85 % (3.315 kg/s). In overall simulation cases, the physical properties of materials are more influential to the temperature increase in the pump part rather than the changes on the feed rate of high temperature H₂SO₄ and cooling water. A continuous operation of pump was also capable even if the excess feed of high temperature H₂SO₄ of about 15 % or the less feed of cooling water of about 15 % were performed, respectively. When the increasing feed of high temperature H₂SO₄ of up to 5 %, 10 %, and 15 % were compared with base flow (45.2 kg/s), the deviation of time period rose to a certain temperature and ranged from 0 to 4.5 s in the same position (same material). In case of cooling water, the deviation of time period rose to a certain temperature and ranged from 0 to 5.9 s according to the decreasing feed changes of cooling water at 5 %, 10 %, and 15 % compared to a base flow (3.9 kg/s). Finally, the additional researches related to the two different materials (Teflon and STS for Pitch and End-plate), which are concerned about the effects of temperature changes to the parts contacting different materials, are needed, and we have a plan to conduct a follow-up study.
A fixed biofilm reactor system composed of anaerobic, anoxic(1), anoxic(2), aerobic(1) and aerobic(2) reactor was packed with synthetic activated ceramic (SAC) media and adopted to reduce the inhibition effect of low temperature on nitrification activities. The changes of nitrification activity at different wastewater temperature were investigated through the evaluation of temperature coefficient, volatile attached solid (VAS), specific nitrification rate and alkalinity consumption. Operating temperature was varied from 20 to 5 ℃. In this biofilm system, the specific nitrification rates of 15 ℃, 10 ℃ and 5 ℃ were 0.972, 0.859 and 0.613 when the specific nitrification rate of 20 ℃ was assumed to 1.00. Moreover the nitrification activity was also observed at 5 ℃ which is lower temperature than the critical temperature condition for the microorganism of activated sludge system. The specific amount of volatile attached solid (VAS) on media was maintained the range of 13.6-12.5 mg VAS/g media at 20~10 ℃. As the temperature was downed to 5 ℃, VAS was rapidly decreased to 10.9 mg VAS/g media and effluent suspended solids was increased from 3.2 mg/L to 12.0 mg/L due to the detachment of microorganism from SAC media. And alkalinity consumption was lower than theoretical value with 5.23 mg as CaCO3/mg NH4 +-N removal at 20 ℃. Temperature coefficient (θ) of nitrification rate (20 ℃ ~ 5 ℃) was 1.033. Therefore, this fixed film nitrogen removal process showed superior stability for low temperature condition than conventional suspended growth process.