Underwater desludging, inspection, and coating repair in radiologically contaminated water

Journal Article · Sun Dec 31 04:00:00 EST 1995 · Transactions of the American Nuclear Society

OSTI ID:186633

Baker, R M ^[1]

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1. S.G. Pinney & Associates, Inc., Port St. Lucie, FL (United States)

Periodic inspection, repair, and maintenance activities must be conducted on all plant systems and components to sustain normal plant operations and to ensure orderly and safe shutdown of the plant. Accomplishing these activities in suppression pools, reactor cavities, condensate tanks, and other radiologically contaminated areas normally in water immersion requires special consideration. Draining and staging these structures to perform required work is generally cost, schedule, and radiation-exposure prohibitive because of: (1) transfer and temporary storage of radiologically contaminated water; (2) radiological exposure to personnel resulting from the removal of the water; (3) airborne contamination created by the drying of loose contamination; (4) embrittlement of epoxy coating through repeated wet/dry cycles; and (5) damage to protective coatings from rigging and staging. Through the use of specially trained divers, equipped for diving in contaminated areas, underwater desludging, inspection, and coating repair can be readily accomplished without having to drain the structure.

• OSTI ID: 186633
• Report Number(s): CONF-950601--
• Journal Information: Transactions of the American Nuclear Society, Journal Name: Transactions of the American Nuclear Society Vol. 72; ISSN 0003-018X; ISSN TANSAO
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
BWR TYPE REACTORS
INSPECTION
PERSONNEL
REACTOR MAINTENANCE
REPAIR
UNDERWATER