Nuclear Containment Sparging for Radioactive Material Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current passive safety systems in nuclear power plants have limitations in reducing radioactive material concentration within containment during accidents, leading to higher containment cooling performance compared to active systems, and result in the need for larger exclusion areas, increasing construction costs.
Innovation Solution
A facility comprising a cooling water storage unit, a boundary unit surrounding the reactor coolant system, a connecting pipe for fluid flow driven by pressure difference, and a sparging unit to dissolve and capture radioactive materials, including iodine, using filters and absorbents like silver nitrate and charcoal, to reduce radioactive material concentration and prevent re-volatilization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If passive safety systems are used to operate without emergency AC power, then reliability is improved, but radioactive material concentration reduction capability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The containment is divided into two separate compartments: a first compartment containing the reactor coolant system and a second compartment containing radioactive material. This segmentation prevents radioactive material from mixing with the coolant system, allowing passive safety operation while controlling radioactive concentration through isolated filtration and absorption systems in the second compartment.
Solution Approach 2:
A filtering system and absorption system are introduced as intermediary components between the reactor coolant system and the containment atmosphere. These intermediaries actively remove radioactive materials (including iodine) from the air without requiring active pumps, enabling passive operation while maintaining low radioactive concentrations through natural convection and pressure differential.
2Device complexity
If passive safety systems with limited cooling performance are used, then device complexity is reduced, but containment cooling capability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system utilizes pressure differential between the first compartment (reactor coolant system) and second compartment (radioactive material compartment) to drive natural convection currents. This pneumatic mechanism enables passive cooling and air circulation without mechanical pumps, reducing device complexity while maintaining effective temperature control through natural fluid dynamics.
Solution Approach 2:
The absorption system utilizes phase transition and chemical reaction mechanisms to capture radioactive iodine and other materials. The filtering system transitions radioactive particulates from gas phase to trapped particulate phase through filtration, while the absorption system chemically binds gaseous iodine, enabling effective radioactive material removal without complex active cooling systems.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If filters and absorbents are added to capture radioactive materials, then radioactive material concentration is reduced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The filtering system and absorption system are merged into a single integrated second compartment structure. Instead of separate systems for filtration and absorption, the patent combines these functions within one compartment, reducing overall device complexity while maintaining effective radioactive material concentration reduction through coordinated filtration and chemical absorption processes.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The facility effectively reduces radioactive material concentration within the containment, minimizing the need for larger exclusion areas and reducing construction costs by passively operating without requiring emergency AC power, while maintaining efficient containment cooling.
Implementation Method 1
a sparging unit to sparge, into the cooling water, the fluid and radioactive materials contained in the fluid
Implementation Method 2
a connecting pipe for guiding a flow of a fluid caused by a pressure difference between the boundary unit and the cooling water storage unit from the boundary unit to the cooling water storage unit
Implementation Method 3
a filter facility installed in the fluid path of the discharging unit to capture the radioactive material contained in the fluid passing through the discharging unit in the boundary unit
Implementation Method 4
absorbents like silver nitrate and charcoal
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides a facility for reducing radioactive material comprising: a cooling water storage unit installed inside a containment and formed to store cooling water; a boundary unit forming a boundary of radioactive material inside the containment and surrounding a reactor coolant system installed inside the containment to prevent a radioactive material from releasing from the reactor coolant system or a pipe connected with the reactor coolant system to the containment; a connecting pipe connected with an inner space of the boundary unit and the cooling water storage unit to guide a flow of a fluid caused by a pressure difference between the boundary unit and the cooling water storage unit from the boundary unit to the cooling water storage unit; and a sparging unit disposed to be submerged in the cooling water stored in the cooling water storage unit and connected with the connecting pipe to sparge the fluid that has passed through the connecting pipe and the radioactive material contained in the fluid to the cooling water storage unit.