Conceptual research and performance study of a fluid pump

In nuclear fuel reprocessing plants, transfers of highly active and corrosive solutions are currently carried out by vapor ejectors or air-lifts. The use of these means of transfer has consequences on the design of the workshops and on the operating conditions (height of buildings, dilution, etc.). These inconveniences have led to the search for other techniques for transporting radioactive solutions that meet the usual nuclear constraints: the absence of mobile mechanical organs in the cell, minimum in-situ maintenance, the limitation of vents..., which can be implemented in future reprocessing plants. Fluid pumps have appeared to meet these objectives. This study aims at identifying the characteristics of fluid pumps. A first part is devoted to the presentation of the fluid pump and to the conceptual study of a prototype installation. The second part evaluates the performance of this installation: measurement of operating characteristics at different lift heights. The third part presents the theory of the performance of a pump of this type. The model takes into consideration the different parameters involved in the installation: the pulse volume, the compressed air pressure, the depression at suction, the loss of load and the density of the fluid. The model is validated thanks to the database constituted by the tests. (author)