[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_2,1_2″ _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.aircontrolindustries.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Hinkley_Point_-A-_Station_-_geograph.org_.uk_-_441483.jpg” align_tablet=”center” align_phone=”” align_last_edited=”on|desktop” _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.21.2″ global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
Photo Credit:<\/strong> Adrian Boliston [CC BY-SA 2.0<\/a>], via Wikimedia Commons<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”]Last week some of the engineers from the Magnox team based at Hinkley Point A visited our testing facility in Axminster, Devon.<\/p>\n Magnox are an operations contractor responsible for safely managing twelve nuclear sites and one hydroelectric plant in the UK, working for the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA). Magnox are responsible for managing the sites through their lifecycles, overseeing all aspects of electricity generation, defueling, and decommissioning.<\/p>\n Hinkley Point A is a nuclear power station located on the South West Coast of England in the county of Somerset, approximately 13km North West of Bridgwater. Magnox is currently managing the decommissioning of the twin reactor site. Hinkley Point A power station stopped generating in 2000 having completed 35 years of operation, generating a total of 103 TWh.<\/p>\n Currently, at Hinkley Point A, Magnox are in the care and maintenance (C&M) preparations stage which focuses on decommissioning and deplanting buildings and retrieving, treating and processing any waste in order to ready the site for C&M. This phase also ensures that any waste is moved to modern stores which are maintained. The types of buildings that will remain on site typically include reactor safestores, intermediate level waste stores or interim storage facilities; plus any additional structures that will be removed at final site clearance. During the operation of the site after the fuel elements were removed from the reactor and cooled, they were passed through a hydraulic press which stripped the metal cooling fins around the fuel element casings. These metal fins, which are radioactive, were then stored in bunkers\/vaults. Some of these bunkers are filled with water which acts as shielding against the radiation.<\/p>\n As part of the decommissioning process, this waste is being retrieved from the vaults to be dried, sorted and processed before long term storage. Magnox contacted ACI because they were looking for a solution to dry the waste prior to it being sorted and processed.<\/p>\n One of the challenges to this application is there is nothing uniform about the parts that need to be dried \u2013 the size, shapes and materials of the scraps varied. After trialing heat lamps and bespoke \u201ctumble dryer\u201d inspired designs, Magnox contacted ACI to provide a blower-driven solution.<\/p>\nAbout Magnox<\/h4>\n
Decommissioning Hinkley Point A<\/h4>\n
\n[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\nThe Application<\/h4>\n
The Solution<\/h4>\n
![via Wikimedia Commons<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”]Last week some of the engineers from the Magnox team based at Hinkley Point A visited our testing facility in Axminster, Devon.<\/p>\nAbout Magnox<\/h4>\nMagnox are an operations contractor responsible for safely managing twelve nuclear sites and one hydroelectric plant in the UK, working for the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA). Magnox are responsible for managing the sites through their lifecycles, overseeing all aspects of electricity generation, defueling, and decommissioning.<\/p>\nDecommissioning Hinkley Point A<\/h4>\nHinkley Point A is a nuclear power station located on the South West Coast of England in the county of Somerset, approximately 13km North West of Bridgwater. Magnox is currently managing the decommissioning of the twin reactor site. Hinkley Point A power station stopped generating in 2000 having completed 35 years of operation, generating a total of 103 TWh.<\/p>\nCurrently, at Hinkley Point A, Magnox are in the care and maintenance (C&M) preparations stage which focuses on decommissioning and deplanting buildings and retrieving, treating and processing any waste in order to ready the site for C&M. This phase also ensures that any waste is moved to modern stores which are maintained. The types of buildings that will remain on site typically include reactor safestores, intermediate level waste stores or interim storage facilities; plus any additional structures that will be removed at final site clearance.\n[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\nThe Application<\/h4>\nDuring the operation of the site after the fuel elements were removed from the reactor and cooled, they were passed through a hydraulic press which stripped the metal cooling fins around the fuel element casings. These metal fins, which are radioactive, were then stored in bunkers\/vaults. Some of these bunkers are filled with water which acts as shielding against the radiation.<\/p>\nAs part of the decommissioning process, this waste is being retrieved from the vaults to be dried, sorted and processed before long term storage. Magnox contacted ACI because they were looking for a solution to dry the waste prior to it being sorted and processed.<\/p>\nOne of the challenges to this application is there is nothing uniform about the parts that need to be dried \u2013 the size, shapes and materials of the scraps varied. After trialing heat lamps and bespoke \u201ctumble dryer\u201d inspired designs, Magnox contacted ACI to provide a blower-driven solution.<\/p>\nThe Solution<\/h4>\nA spot of research had led them to ACI\u2019s Spiral Drum Dryer<\/a> \u2013 a system designed specifically for loose component drying. The spiral dryer comprises a single helix rotating drum constructed from perforated stainless steel, mounted horizontally.<\/p>\n[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_2,1_2″ _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.aircontrolindustries.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/spiral-dryer-4.jpg” align_tablet=”center” align_phone=”” align_last_edited=”on|desktop” _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”]Parts enter the drum via a simple chute whereupon they are exposed to a blower-driven air knife which is suspended in the centre of the drum.<\/p>\nThe combination of the tumbling motion of the product, and the powerful, high velocity air stream produced by the air knife, means that emerging parts\/components are dried both efficiently and effectively.<\/p>\nOnce parts\/components have been dried they can simply be collected manually or passed onto another process.\n[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”]We explained to Magnox that the spiral dryer is flexible in design, configuration being dependent on the size of the components and desired throughput rate. With that in mind we invited Magnox to visit our testing facility*, with a (non-radioactive!) sample of the parts they were looking to dry, so that the ideal configuration could be determined.<\/p>\nThree engineers from Magnox came to do the testing. We began by wetting the parts to emulate the real-life environment. The scrap metal was then fed into the spiral drum dryer at a similar rate to match the throughput of the system at Hinkley Point A.<\/p>\nHere is a video we took on the day of the\u00a0Spiral Dryer in action:<\/p>\n](\"https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/File%3AHinkley_Point_%22A%22_Station_-_geograph.org.uk_-_441483.jpg\"){kind=link}