Dose monitoring in large-scale flowing aqueous media

The Miami Electron Beam Research Facility (EBRF) has been in operation for six years. The EBRF houses a 1.5 MV, 75 KW DC scanned electron beam. Experiments have been conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of high-energy electron irradiation in the removal of toxic organic chemicals from contaminated water and the disinfection of various wastewater streams. The large-scale plant operates at approximately 450 L/min (120 gal/min). The radiation dose absorbed by the flowing aqueous streams is estimated by measuring the difference in water temperature before and after it passes in front of the beam. Temperature measurements are made using resistance temperature devices (RTDs) and recorded by computer along with other operating parameters. Estimated dose is obtained from the measured temperature differences using the specific heat of water. This presentation will discuss experience with this measurement system, its application to different water presentation devices, sources of error, and the advantages and disadvantages of its use in large-scale process applications