RU2428691C2 - Method of determining crystallisation of heavy isotope types of water - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: chemistry.

SUBSTANCE: method of determining crystallisation of heavy isotope types of water during volumetric, uniform cooling of natural water and formation of ice of heavy water involves determining and recording changes in optical properties of water using a laser beam and two photocells. The photocells are placed at different heights and the laser beam and its scattered radiation are picked up. The laser beam is pulsed with pulse duration of up to 1 second and period between pulses of 30-200 seconds. Measurements are taken after lowering temperature of the processed water to +4°C. Before each measurement, the water aeration process is stopped completely or only on the area under the beam for the period of time when bubbles surface.

EFFECT: invention increases quality of water and preserves its salt composition.

1 dwg

Description

The invention relates to methods for determining crystallization and ice formation of heavy isotopic types of water in natural water with uniform cooling, and is used in crystallization sensors of light and heavy water separation units.

The known "method for determining crystallization of heavy isotopic types of water" with uniform, volumetric cooling of natural water. It consists in determining the formation of ice of light water ¹ H ₂ ¹⁶ O, on the surface of floating electrodes immersed in water, and designed to transmit a pulsed electric current through the water. The electrodes are connected to a device that generates pulses and gives a signal after reducing the conductivity of the interelectrode space, caused by the formation of ice on the surface of the electrodes (1).

Using the known method in crystallization sensors of heavy isotopic types of water is accompanied by several undesirable effects.

It is known that when a constant electric current is passed through water, water molecules dissociate and polarize, which leads to a gradual increase in its electrical resistivity. When a current is passed through water, thermal energy is released into it, the temperature gradient of which is maximum at the points of contact of the electrodes with water. This circumstance worsens the conditions for the formation of ice on the electrodes. For these reasons, the accuracy of determining the time to complete crystallization of heavy water is reduced, especially in the case of using natural water prone to seasonal variations in salt composition. In addition, when an electric current is passed through water, electrolysis of water occurs and electrochemical reactions occur (2). In everyday life, a change in the composition of water is an unpredictable and undesirable phenomenon when it is used in drinking and food. In terms of light water production units, uniformity of volume cooling of water is achieved by aeration with air and an ozone-air mixture, which affects the accuracy of determining the time of completion of crystallization of heavy water. In such installations, regardless of the installation capacity and the volume of water being treated, random accumulation of air bubbles on the electrodes of crystallization sensors is possible and a short-term loss of contact of the electrodes with water is possible, which causes false signals. If in industrial installations this can be monitored by service personnel, then in domestic installations the accuracy of separation of light and heavy water is reduced.

The present invention is aimed at eliminating the influence of measuring currents of crystallization sensors on the treated water and improving the quality of light water, increasing reliability and reducing the cost of installation and maintenance of plants.

The proposed method eliminates the impact on the treated water of the measuring currents of the electrodes of the crystallization sensors of heavy water by replacing the determination method from electric in the photo.

The experience of the applicant determined that with uniform, volumetric cooling of natural water, the formed crystals of heavy water float to the surface of the treated water and form a loose mass, the volume of which gradually increases and the amount depends on the concentration of heavy water in natural water. The optical properties of water depend on the concentration and type of suspension of the substances contained in it. The crystals of heavy water formed are suspended, and therefore the optical properties of unfrozen natural water and unfrozen light water with a loose mass of crystals of heavy water are different. The laser beam passes through non-frozen natural water in a filiform shape, without significant scattering, with a gradual decrease in brightness. When a heavy ice mass of ice forms in the path of the laser beam, it loses its shape, dissipates, and forms a luminous volume of ice crystals.

The essence of the invention consists in recording changes in the optical properties of water during its uniform cooling, and the accumulation of a certain volume of loose mass of ice of heavy water. To register changes in the optical properties of the cooled water, a laser beam is passed through it, at a certain height, and its and its scattered radiation are recorded by two photocells.

To clarify the proposed method is a drawing.

The drawing shows part of the crystallization tank 1, with water 2 poured into it. It is shown that the formation of a loose mass of ice of heavy water occurred, and ice crystals of heavy water 3 reached the optical system. It consists of glass 4, laser 5, photocells 6 and 7, and mirror 8. The crystallization of ice in heavy water is determined as follows.

The processes of cooling natural water and crystallization of heavy water are relatively slow, their duration depends on the intensity of cooling, and when a laser beam passes through water, heat is released, so the optical properties of the water are measured briefly by pulses. A laser beam 5 periodically passes through the glass 4, with a pulse duration of up to 1 second, and the duration of the interval between pulses from 30 to 200 seconds. The pulses are emitted after the crystallization of heavy water begins, in the temperature range between + 4 ° C-0 ° C and until its completion, with the issuance of a signal. To eliminate the effect of aerating gas bubbles on the passage of the laser beam, before the moment of measurement, the process of aeration of water with an ozone-air mixture is stopped under the optical system placement area, or it is completely stopped in low-volume installations. In the absence of ice crystals 3, in the path of the laser beam 5, the beam is reflected by the mirror 8, enters the photocell 7 and is registered with it. Due to the focus on the photocell 7, the laser beam does not hit the photocell 6 and it is not registered. When a mass of ice crystals of heavy water is formed in the path of the laser beam 5, the beam is scattered and the photocell 7 does not respond and does not register laser pulses, and the photocell 6 detects the scattered light from the laser beam. Thus, during the accumulation of a certain volume of loose mass of ice of heavy water, the reaction of photocells 6 and 7 to the laser beam changes. A change in the reaction of the solar cells is a signal to complete the crystallization of heavy water. In low-volume installations, the proposed method for determining the crystallization of heavy water is possible without glass 4 and mirror 8, provided that the crystallization capacity 1 is optically transparent, the laser and photocells are installed on its opposite walls and the influence of external light sources is eliminated.

When using the present invention in installations for producing light water, the necessary accuracy of separation of light and heavy waters is fulfilled, and there is no electrolysis and changes in the salt composition of water. Moreover, unlike the prototype, the proposed method allows you to filter crystals of mainly heavy types of heavy water, and then in a different crystallization tank to obtain light water. In contrast to the prototype, for assembling the optical system, component devices are used that are manufactured by the industry, in bulk, with a high degree of reliability and various types of analog and digital output signals. When using the invention in industrial enterprises, the costs of installation and maintenance of light water production plants and their downtime are significantly reduced, and reliability increases in domestic installations.

Information sources

1. MM Muratov, Application RU No. 2008148782 for the invention "A method for determining the crystallization of heavy isotopic types of water."

2. “Handbook of Physics” B. M. Yavorsky, A. A. Detlaf, Moscow, “Science”, 1980

Claims (1)

A method for determining the crystallization of heavy isotopic types of water during volumetric uniform cooling of natural water and the formation of heavy water ice, which consists in determining and recording changes in the optical properties of water by a laser beam and two photocells installed with a height difference and registering the laser beam and its scattered radiation, the beam pulsed laser, with a pulse duration of up to 1 second, with a period between pulses of 30-200 s, while the measurements are carried out after the temperature of the treated water is reduced to + 4 ° C, and before each measurement, preliminary during the ascent of the bubbles, the process of aeration of water is stopped completely or only in the area under the beam.

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