A new model has been developed for predicting the rate at which gaseous molecular iodine is absorbed by water sprays. This model is a quasi-steady-state mass transfer model that includes iodine hydrolysis reactions. The parameters of the model are

  1. spray drop size
  2. initial concentration of the gas and liquid phases
  3. temperature
  4. pressure
  5. the buffered or unbuffered state of the spray solution
  6. spray flow rate
  7. containment diameter
  8. drop-fall height.
Results from the model were compared with the results available from the Containment Systems Experiments carried out at Pacific Northwest Laboratory in 1970. The difference between results predicted by the model and the experimental data ranges from −120.5 to 68.0%. The new spray model was also compared to previous spray models. At high concentrations of molecular iodine in the gas, the new spray model is less accurate than an earlier model in predicting available data; however, the new model is believed to be more reliable for extrapolation. At low concentrations, the new model predicts results that are closer to the experimental data than earlier models. The principal advantage of the new model is its potential ability to account for iodine hydrolysis reactions and changes that occur in iodine removal rates as high concentrations of iodine accumulate in the water. Inclusion of the iodine hydrolysis reactions is shown to be important for determining the rate of molecular iodine removal over a wide range of conditions.