PNNL

Abstract

A new simulation capability has been developed for modeling the flow and thermal performance of chemical processes that involve multiphase, chemically-complex flows. This capability is applied to the ultrafiltration process which will be used in conjunction with caustic and/or oxidative leaching to concentrate high level waste in the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP) at the US DOE Hanford site. The separation of supernatant from undissolved solids is an important aspect of these processes. The design and likely operational performance of the proposed ultrafiltration system for the WTP facility have been called into question by external reviewers. Lattice methods are used to model both the pore scale filtration mechanisms in the filter material and the filter device scale performance. Simulation results are compared with data from experiments.