Because operations of pyroprocess are carried out in a batch mode, solid ingots are the main products needed to be transported between different process equipment. To attain higher efficiency, techniques for transporting other forms, such as powders and high-temperature liquids, are being devel­oped for appropriate interoperations.

Transport technologies for high-temperature liquids (molten salt and liquid cadmium) enhance the interoperation of the processes between the electroreduction cell, electrorefiner, counter current contactor and/or cathode processor by decreasing the time required for freezing and remelt­ing. Although the success of large-capacity centrifugal pumps for molten salt reactor systems has been reported (Rosenthal, 1972), the development of small transport systems applicable to pyrochemical processing has not been reported in detail. A molten salt transport test rig (Fig. 10.29) and liquid metal transport test rig (Fig. 10.30) have been installed at CRIEPI to develop transport technologies suitable for pyrochemical treatment (Hijikata 2009a, 2009b). The applicability of a high-temperature centrifugal pump, suction pump and valves has been tested at 500 °C, and the control­lability of the flow rate in a practical range of several L/min demonstrated, as shown in Fig. 10.31. The durability of the high-temperature centrifugal pump was demonstrated by repeating its operation about 500 times during a total of 700 h operation.

Similar to the pellet fabrication system of oxide fuels, handling of the fine fuel powder produced during the voloxidation process needs special care. The voloxidizer installed in KAERI is designed to recover the uniform powder in the bottom vessel after percolation using a vibrating mesh, and the vessel is transported to the electroreducer by a master-slave manipula­tor (Kim, 2005).