Radioisotope tracer study in a sludge hygienization research irradiator (SHRI)

A radioisotope tracer study has been carried out in a batch type sludge hygienization research irradiator with flow from top to bottom, the objective being to measure flow rate, circulation and mixing times and to investigate the hydrodynamic behaviour of the irradiator for identifying the cause(s) of malfunction. A stimulus–response technique with NH824Br as a tracer was used to measure the above parameters. Experiments were carried out at three different flow rates, i.e 1.0, 0.64 and 0.33 m3/min. Three combined models based on a set of differential equations are proposed and used to simulate the measured tracer concentration curves. The obtained parameters were used to estimate dead volume and analyse hydrodynamic behaviour of the irradiator. The nonlinear regression problem of model parameter estimation was solved using the Marquardt–Levenberg method. The measured flow rate was found to be in good agreement with the values shown by the flow meter. The circulation times were found to be half of the mixing times. A simple approach for estimation of dose based on a known vertical dose-rate profile inside the irradiator is presented. About one-fourth of the volume of the irradiator was found to be dead at lower flow rates and this decreased with increase in flow rate. At higher flow rates, a semi stagnant volume was found with slow exchange of flow between the active and dead volumes.