Nuclear Containment Filtered Venting System Clogging Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional containment filtered venting systems for nuclear power plants face issues such as clogging, reduced efficiency at high temperatures, and manufacturing complexities due to the use of multiple nozzles and substances like Aliquat336, which can explode, and have limitations in removing radioactive aerosols and gas iodine effectively.
Innovation Solution
A containment filtered venting system with combined nozzles, a cyclone separator, and a metal fiber filter, using a scrubber solution and molecular sieve with silver ion exchange zeolite, and active carbon to enhance filtering efficiency and prevent clogging, along with a radiation fin to optimize condensing and extend operational time.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a pre-filter is used to physically absorb droplets in the AREVA CFVS, then droplet removal is achieved, but clogging occurs when plenty of droplets are inputted and flow disturbance is caused
Solution Approach 1:
The filtering system is divided into multiple stages: a pre-filter for initial droplet removal and a main filter for final filtration. This segmentation allows the pre-filter to handle large droplets without clogging the main filter, as the system processes droplets in a staged manner rather than attempting to remove all droplets in a single stage.
Solution Approach 2:
A flow distribution mechanism acts as an intermediary between the pre-filter and the main filter, evenly distributing the flow to prevent localized clogging and ensure uniform processing throughout the filtering system.
2Reliability
If Aliquat336 is added to the scrubber solution to remove organic iodine, then organic iodine removal is achieved, but the substance may explode at room temperature and cause forming phenomenon
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses a disposable organic iodine filter cartridge containing activated carbon or other suitable materials. This disposable component can be replaced when saturated, eliminating the need for maintaining hazardous chemical solutions like Aliquat336 while achieving the same organic iodine removal function.
Solution Approach 2:
The chemical absorption method using Aliquat336 is replaced with a physical adsorption method using activated carbon or similar materials in a filter cartridge, substituting a hazardous chemical system with a safer physical filtration system.
3Reliability
If hundreds of impact nozzles are used in the IMI CFVS, then aerosol removal is enhanced, but manufacturing and installing become difficult
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple nozzle functions are merged into a single integrated aerosol filter cartridge assembly. Instead of requiring hundreds of individual nozzles to be manufactured and installed separately, the system uses one pre-assembled cartridge that performs the same aerosol removal function, significantly simplifying manufacturing and installation while maintaining effectiveness.
4Reliability
If zeolite is used as filler in the iodine filter, then filtering efficiency is high at high temperature, but filtering efficiency is low when pre-heating is not provided at initial stage
Solution Approach 1:
The system changes the material parameter from zeolite to activated carbon or other suitable adsorbent materials that do not require thermal activation. These materials maintain high iodine filtering efficiency across a wide temperature range, including at initial operation temperatures, eliminating the need for pre-heating while preserving the high-temperature performance advantage.
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 system achieves high efficiency in removing radioactive aerosols and gas iodine, increases operational time, and diversifies filtering techniques, preventing performance failures and reducing the risk of clogging and manufacturing complexities.
Implementation Method 1
a cyclone separator, and a metal fiber filter
Implementation Method 2
molecular sieve with silver ion exchange zeolite
Implementation Method 3
silver ion exchange zeolite
Implementation Method 4
active carbon to enhance filtering efficiency
Implementation Method 5
radiation fin to optimize condensing
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
Figure 4
AI summary
Disclosed is a containment filtered venting system (CFVS) for a nuclear power plant, which may include a filtering and venting container which is configured to store the components of the filtered venting system; an inlet pipe which is connected to the filtering and venting container and a reactor building; combined nozzles which are connected to the inlet pipe and are submerged under a filtering solution filled in part of the filtering and venting container; a cyclone separator which is configured to remove larger size substances in droplets and aerosols mixed with the filtering solution from the combined nozzles and guide to a metal filter; a metal filter which is connected to the top of the cyclone separator and is configured to filer impurities mixed in the residual droplets and aerosols; a molecular sieve which is configured to remove organic iodine from exhaust gas filtered by the metal filter; and an outlet pipe which serves to connect the filtering and venting container and a stack.