EXPERIMENTAL RELEASE OF RADIO-IODINE IN THE ZENITH REACTOR CONTAINMENT

Technical Report · Sat Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 1962

OSTI ID:4703235

Croft, J F; Iles, R S

Experiments are described in which a mass of iodine, corresponding approximately to the maximum iodine equilibrium core inventory of the Zenith reactor, was released as molecular vapor into the secondary containment. The releases were of stable I/sup 127/, labeled with radioactive I/sup 132/ and yielded initial iodine airborne mass concentrations of 0.3 to 0.8 mu g/m/sup 3/. The experimental conditions included those with and without forced ventiiation of the containment. The subsequent deposition and leakage behavior of the iodine was examined. In the unventilated condition the form of iodine remaining airborne changed with time. The molecular vapor plated out relatively quickly, with an effective deposition velocity ~ 4 x 10/sup -2/ cm/sec, leaving a mixture of particulate-carried and a nonmolecular vapor form of iodine, with the former predominant. Both these residual forms exhibited a similar effective deposition velocity of ~ 5 x 10/sup -3/ cm/sec. The results obtained were used to evaluate the maximum conceivable I/sup 131/ release from Zenith, and this is shown to be a small fraction of the core inventory. The results, and those of other workers using molecular vapor sources, are assessed for general applicability in reactor safety studies, bearing in mind that other potential forms of iodine release from irradiated fuel must be considered. (auth)

• Research Organization: United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority. Reactor Group. Atomic Energy Establishment, Winfrith, Dorset, England (United Kingdom)
• NSA Number: NSA-17-028418
• OSTI ID: 4703235
• Report Number(s): AEEW-R-172
• Country of Publication: United Kingdom
• Language: English

Related Subjects

CONTAMINATION
DEPOSITS
EMISSION
FISSION PRODUCTS
FUELS
IODINE 127
IODINE 131
IODINE 132
LABELLED COMPOUNDS
MOLECULES
RADIOISOTOPES
REACTOR SAFETY
REACTOR TECHNOLOGY
REACTORS
VAPORS
VESSELS
ZENITH