A MODEL FOR PREDICTING FISSION PRODUCT ACTIVITIES IN REACTOR COOLANT: APPLICATION OF MODEL FOR ESTIMATING I-129 LEVELS IN RADIOACTIVE WASTE
A general model was developed to estimate the activities of fission products in reactor coolant and hence to predict a value for the I-129/Cs-137 scaling factor; the latter can be applied along with measured Cs-137 activities to estimate I-129 levels in reactor waste. The model accounts for fission product release from both defective fuel rods and uranium contamination present on in-core reactor surfaces. For simplicity, only the key release mechanisms were modeled. A mass balance, considering the two fuel source terms and a loss term due to coolant cleanup was solved to estimate fission product activity in the primary heat transport system coolant. Steady state assumptions were made to solve for the activity of shortlived fission products. Solutions for long-lived fission products are time-dependent. Data for short-lived radioiodines I-131, I-132, I-133, I-134 and I-135 were analyzed to estimate model parameters for I-129. The estimated parameter values were then used to determine I-1 29 coolant activities. Because of the chemical affinity between iodine and cesium, estimates of Cs-137 coolant concentrations were also based on parameter values similar to those for the radioiodines; this assumption was tested by comparing measured and predicted Cs-137 coolant concentrations. Application of the derived model to Douglas Point and Darlington Nuclear Generating Station plant data yielded estimates for I-129/I-131 and I-129/Cs-137 which are consistent with values reported for pressurized water reactors (PWRs) and boiling water reactors (BWRs). The estimated magnitude for the I-129/Cs-137 ratio was 10-8 - 10-7.
- Research Organization:
- Royal Military College of Canada, Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering PO Box 1700, Kingston, Ontario (CA) K7K 7B4; Kinectrics Inc., 800 Kipling Avenue, Toronto, Ontario (CA) M8Z 6C4
- Sponsoring Organization:
- WM Symposia, Inc. (US)
- OSTI ID:
- 825670
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Waste Management 2003 Symposium, Tucson, AZ (US), 02/23/2003--02/27/2003; Other Information: PBD: 27 Feb 2003
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
AFFINITY
CESIUM
CONTAMINATION
COOLANTS
FISSION PRODUCT RELEASE
FISSION PRODUCTS
FUEL RODS
IODINE
MASS BALANCE
PWR TYPE REACTORS
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
SOURCE TERMS
URANIUM
WASTE MANAGEMENT