Mathematical model of heavy water extraction and distillation

✍ Scribed by M. P. Burgess

• Publisher: American Institute of Chemical Engineers
• Year: 1971
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 646 KB
• Volume: 17
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0001-1541
• DOI: 10.1002/aic.690170310

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

A mathematical model of the heavy water production facility at the Savannah River Plant, an installation of the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission at Aiken, South Carolina, operated by E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company, was developed because measured production rates, even when averaged over one‐month periods, are inadequately precise for process control. With this model the instantaneous steady state production rate for any set of process conditions is calculated with precision. Therefore the model is used to establish process set points for achieving production goals, to study the effect of important process variables on these goals, and to evaluate proposed changes of equipment. In fact, with only minor changes in the computer program, several features of a newly designed heavy water plant are being evaluated.