Bmi-X-660 an Assessment of the Potentially Beneficial Uses of Krypton-85
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
BMI-X-660 AN ASSESSMENT OF THE POTENTIALLY BENEFICIAL USES OF KRYPTON-85 Final Report, Task 64 BATTELLE Columbus Laboratories 505 King Avenue Columbus, Ohio 43201 DISCLAIMER This report was prepared as an account of work sponsored by an agency of the United States Government. Neither the United States Government nor any agency Thereof, nor any of their employees, makes any warranty, express or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed, or represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights. Reference herein to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States Government or any agency thereof. The views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the United States Government or any agency thereof. DISCLAIMER Portions of this document may be illegible in electronic image products. Images are produced from the best available original document. This report was prepared as an account of work sponsored by the United States Government. Neither the United States nor the United States Energy Research and Development Administration, nor any of their employees, nor any of their contractors, subcontractors, or their employees, makes any warranty, express or implied, or assunnes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product or process disclosed, or represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights. BMI-X-660 AN ASSESSMENT OF THE POTENTIALLY BENEFICIAL USES OF KRYPTON-85 Final Report, Task 64 Philip E. Eggers William E. Gawthrop BATTELLE Columbus Laboratories 505 King Avenue Columbus, Ohio 43201 NOTICE This report was prepared as an account of work sponsored by the United States Government Neither the United States nor the United States Energy Research and Development Administration, nor any of their employees, nor any of their contractors, subcontractors, or their employees, makes any warranty, express or impbed, or assumes any legaJ liabibty or responsibibty for the accuracy, completeness or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product or process disUosed, or represents that its use would not mfnnge pnvalely owned rights Prepared for United States Energy Research and Development Administration Under Contract W-7405-eng-92 Report Date: June, 1975 > DrSTRlBUTiCN OF THIS DOCdulENT fS UNLir^/slTED TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION 1 SUMMARY 2 RECOMMENDATIONS 5 BACKGROUND AND CHARACTERISTICS OF KRYPTON-85 5 Properties, Collection, and Enrichment 5 Output by the Nuclear Power Industry 8 TECHNICAL ASSESSMENTS 8 Self-Lumlnous Light Sources 8 Lights for Underground Mines 18 Lights for Inland Waterways 24 Lights for Airport Visual Aids 24 Other Lighting Concepts 30 Military Applications 31 Conclusions 34 Technical Assessment of Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators Involving Krypton-85 Heat Sources 34 Introduction 34 Description of Selected RTG Concepts 36 One Watt(e) RTG 37 Forty-^llllwatt(e) RTG 39 Potential Benefits of Kr3T)ton-85 RTG's 42 Potential Limitations of Krypton-85 RTG's 42 Conclusions 43 Dynamic Energy Conversion Systems 44 Brayton-Cycle Systems 46 Stirling-Cycle Engines 47 Ranklne-Cycle Engines 48 Conclusions 49 Polymerization 49 Conclusions 51 Concepts Based on Property 1 51 Concepts Based on Property 2 51 Concepts Based on Properties 5 and 6 53 TABLE OF CONTENTS (Continued) Page Nondestructive Testing 54 Gauging 54 Leak Detection and Fluid Flow Tracing 55 Flaw Detection and Thermal Mapping 56 Miscellaneous Applications 57 Conclusions 58 Biomedical Applications 59 Conclusions 60 Waste Treatment 61 Specific Applications 64 Military Unique Waste Disposal or Waste Treatments 64 Germ-Warfare Agents 65 Chemical-Warfare Agents 65 GB and VX 66 Persistent Organics in Wastewater 66 Conclusions 67 Environmental Control of Submerslbles 69 Submersible Environmental Control System 69 Personnel Transfer Capsule Environmental Control Gas Heater 70 Wet Suit or Dry Suit Diver Heating System 70 Submersible Battery Heaters 70 Conclusions 71 REFERENCES 72 APPENDIX A SELECTED PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF KRYPTON-85 APPENDIX B THE NUCLEAR POWER INDUSTRY APPENDIX C QUANTITATIVE ESTIMATION OF KRYPTON-85 QUANTITIES REQUIRED TO DESTROY REFRACTORY MOLECULES LIST OF TABLES Page Table 1. Comparative Properties of Three Radioisotopes Used for Self-Lumlnous Lighting Applications ^^ Table 2. Comparisons of Some Common Levels of Brightness .... i^ Table 3. Candidate Applications for Krypton-85 Self- Lumlnous Lights 17 Table 4. Dynamic Energy Conversion System Applications 45 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Projected Cimiulative Availability of Krypton From Light Water Reactors(21) 10 Figure 2. Maximum Visible Distance as a Function of Activity of Krypton-85 14 Figure 3. Increase in Maximum Visible Distance by Optically Increasing the Diameter of Source 15 Figure 4. Bare Source Radiation Profiles as a Function of Brightness 16 Figure 5. Flat Pan Krypton-85 Self-Lumlnous Light Source .... 19 Figure 6. Reflector - Type Krypton-85 Self-Lumlnous Light Source 20 Figure 7. Concept for Krypton-85 Self-Ltraiinous Light Source Used as a Delineation Device in Underground Mines (Passageway Cross-Sectional View Shown Above) 22 Figure 8. Concept for Krypton-85 Self-Lumlnous Light Source Used as a Form of Low-Level Area Illumination 23 Figure 9. Concept for High-Intensity Krypton-85 Self- Lumlnous Light Used in a Buoy 25 Figure 10. Concept for a Krypton-85 Self-Lvimlnous Light Source Used as a Barge Marker 26 Figure 11. Concept for a Krypton-85 Self-Lumlnous Light Source Used as a Pier Marker 27 Figure 12. Sketch of a Krypton-85 Runway Marker From a Photograph Supplied by Permission of American Atomics Corporation, Tucson, Arizona 28 Figure 13. Concept for Krypton-85 Self-Lumlnous Light Source Used for Runway Delineation 29 Figure 14. Concept for a Fixed Installation Physical Perimeter Security System Using a Krypton-85 Self-Luminous Light Source 32 Figure 15. Concept for a Field Installation Physical Perimeter Security System Using Krypton-85 Self-Lumlnous Light Sources 33 Figure 16. Schematic View of l-Watt(e) RTG Featuring Krypton-85 Heat Source 38 Figure 17. Schematic View of 40-Milllwatt(e) RTG Featuring Kr3T)ton-85 Heat Source 40 Figure 18. Disc-Shaped Thermoelectric Module Concept Featuring Thin-Film Thermoelements 41 Figure 19. Quantity of Cobalt-60 That can be Afforded for Different Treatment Costs for a 1-MGD Treatment Plant 63 FINAL REPORT on AN ASSESSMENT OF THE POTENTIALLY BENEFICUL USES OF KRYPTON-85 to ENERGY RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION from BATTELLE Columbus Laboratories Prepared by Philip E. Eggers and William E. Gawthrop June 30. 197S INTRODUCTION This report presents the results of a study aimed at assessing the potentially beneficial uses of krjT)ton-85 derived from waste of gases of nuclear fuel reprocessing facilities. In this study the authors have attempted to identify candidate applications for krypton-85, assess the candidate applications (technically and economically) and point out which applications have been or could be readily implemented. Not only was the literature surveyed (1964 to present) but many persons in government, industry, and the academic community were also interviewed during the course of this study. The literature provided many of the historical data relative to krypton-85 and the nuclear Industry in general while the interviews provided very up-to- date information as to the present trends in krypton-85 uses, research, and development now going on. The interviews also provided valuable insight into new concepts for applications. While the technical assessments of the identified candidate applications were readily accomplished, the economic assessment that was attempted was not so successful. The problem of indefinite cost data for enriched krypton-85 made the economics assessment very difficult if not Impossible. Nevertheless, the authors have attempted, at least, to give order-of-magnltude estimates. 2 Sm^lARY A study of the potentially beneficial uses of by-product krypton-85 from nuclear fuel reprocessing facilities has been accomplished. The main objective of the study was to assess the potentially beneficial uses of kr3T)ton-85 by systematically identifying and evaluating candidate uses of the fission product gas in terms of technical and economic cost benefits. Major emphasis in the study was geared not only toward identifying poten tially beneficial uses but also toward identifying applications where large quantities of krypton-85 could be utilized. Furthermore, emphasis was placed upon those applications where a number of devices using krypton-85 could be realized (and not on a single device that would require the total available inventory of the gas). The overall program approach was accomplished In a project comprising four principal tasks: (1) characterization of the krypton-85, (2) identification of candidate applications, (3) technical assessments of the candidate applications, and (4) summary of the findings. The program was initiated by conducting a survey of the available literature relative to krypton-85 properties, availability, separation and enrichment, and identified applications. In addition, the literature survey also Included a review of the nuclear power Industry. Following