Computer Program Development for D₂O Upgrader Performance Management

Heavy water is used as a moderator and a coolant in the pressurized heavy water reactor Because of the high cost of heavy water, downgraded heavy water generated in the reactor system is recycled to the reactor after being concentrated up to 99.8% or more in heavy water upgraders. This study investigates the process of upgraders and then suggests a theoretical model. The relations between process variables are derived from tower packing characteristics, vapour-liquid equilibria, and mass-heat balance equations at a steady state operation of the upgrader h computer program UPGR is developed, using the algorithm that solves the nonlinear equations step by step. It shows that the results of computer simulation are in good agreement with the operating data of the Wolsung upgrader. Thus, this computer code offers the optimum operating guide and is now applied to manage the performance of upgraders for the effective operation of the heavy water upgraders.