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Aerosols released in accidents in reprocessing plants

Journal Article · · Nucl. Technol.; (United States)
OSTI ID:5198044

For analyzing the thermodynamic and radiological consequences of solvent fire accidents in reprocessing plants, intensive investigations on burning contaminated condensible liquids were performed at Kernforschungszentrum Karlsruhe (KfK), Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL), and Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute (JAERI). In small- and large-scale tests, KfK studied the behavior of kerosene, tributyl phosphate, HNO/sub 3/ mixture fires in open air and closed containments. The particle release from uranium-contaminated pool fires was investigated. Different filter devices were tested. For analyzing fires, PNL has developed the FIRIN computer code and has generated small-scale fire data in support of that code. The results of the experiments in which contaminated combustible liquids were burned demonstrate the use of the FIRIN code in simulating a solvent fire in a nuclear reprocessing plant. To demonstrate the safety evaluation of a postulated solvent fire in an extraction process of a reprocessing pant, JAERI conducted large-scale fire tests. Behavior of solvent fires in a cell and the integrity of high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters due to smoke plugging were investigated. To evaluate confinement of radioactive materials released from the solvent fire, the ventilation systems with HEPA filters were tested under postulated fire conditions.

Research Organization:
Battelle Pacific Northwest Labs., P.O. Box 999, Richland, WA (US)
OSTI ID:
5198044
Journal Information:
Nucl. Technol.; (United States), Journal Name: Nucl. Technol.; (United States) Vol. 81:2; ISSN NUTYB
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English