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Ageing Management of the Kinshasa Trico II Research Reactor Components and Structures. A Case Study of the 5 Tonne Overhead Travelling Crane and the Ventilation System Inlet and Outlet

Abstract

The cable isolation sheath of the overhead traveling crane became fragile and brittle on a length of more than two meters. This degradation of the sheath has been caused by the ageing of the cable and the effects of heat, with changeable ambient temperatures in the reactor hall combined with the Joule effect, in relation to the cyclic use of the crane. This ageing effect was discovered when a failure occurred at the end of a nearly completed routine operation of displacing slightly radioactive spent ion exchange resins into waste storage. During the return of the hoist to its rest position, a severe short circuit happened between the cable and the mass of the hoist motor support, followed by a strong detonation that produced sparks and immobilized the overall system. A visual examination of the cable showed a change of its physical properties as mentioned above. A further investigation showed that two master contacts of the hoist were also burned. The bridge crane was inspected and certified in January 2010 by a competent authority eleven months before the event. On the other hand, the reactor ventilation system started presenting its limits in the late 1990s after more than 17 years  More>>
Authors:
Kombele, D. G.; Kankunku-K, P.; Mwamba, V. L.; Kobakozete, J. I.; Kiamana, M. M.; Lukibanza, J. W.; Kalala, A. T.; Mfinda, D. M.; Bilulu, T. L.; Ilunga, S. T. [1] 
  1. Reactor Service Technical Department, Regional Nuclear Research Centre of Kinshasa (CREN-K), Atomic Energy General Commission (CGEA), Kinshasa (Congo, The Democratic Republic of the)
Publication Date:
Aug 15, 2014
Product Type:
Conference
Report Number:
IAEA-TECDOC-1748
Resource Relation:
Conference: IAEA Technical Meeting on Research Reactor Ageing Management, Modernization and Refurbishment, Vienna (Austria), 10-14 Oct 2011; Other Information: 8 refs., 3 figs., 1 tab.; Related Information: In: Project Experiences in Research Reactor Ageing Management, Modernization and Refurbishment. Report of a Technical Meeting on Research Reactor Ageing Management, Modernization and Refurbishment| 208 p.
Subject:
21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS; AGING; AIR CONDITIONING; ELECTRIC MOTORS; FAILURES; HOISTS; KINSHASA; NUCLEAR ENGINEERING; RADIOACTIVE WASTE STORAGE; REACTOR OPERATION; RESEARCH REACTORS; TRICO REACTOR; VENTILATION SYSTEMS
OSTI ID:
22278474
Research Organizations:
International Atomic Energy Agency, Research Reactor Section, Vienna (Austria)
Country of Origin:
IAEA
Language:
English
Other Identifying Numbers:
Other: ISBN 978-92-0-107814-8; ISSN 1011-4289; TRN: XA14M5961099829
Availability:
Available from INIS in electronic form. Also available on-line: http://www-pub.iaea.org/MTCD/publications/PDF/TE-1748_web.pdf; Enquiries should be addressed to IAEA, Marketing and Sales Unit, Publishing Section, E-mail: sales.publications@iaea.org; Web site: http://www.iaea.org/books
Submitting Site:
INIS
Size:
page(s) 53-59
Announcement Date:
Nov 19, 2014

Citation Formats

Kombele, D. G., Kankunku-K, P., Mwamba, V. L., Kobakozete, J. I., Kiamana, M. M., Lukibanza, J. W., Kalala, A. T., Mfinda, D. M., Bilulu, T. L., and Ilunga, S. T. Ageing Management of the Kinshasa Trico II Research Reactor Components and Structures. A Case Study of the 5 Tonne Overhead Travelling Crane and the Ventilation System Inlet and Outlet. IAEA: N. p., 2014. Web.
Kombele, D. G., Kankunku-K, P., Mwamba, V. L., Kobakozete, J. I., Kiamana, M. M., Lukibanza, J. W., Kalala, A. T., Mfinda, D. M., Bilulu, T. L., & Ilunga, S. T. Ageing Management of the Kinshasa Trico II Research Reactor Components and Structures. A Case Study of the 5 Tonne Overhead Travelling Crane and the Ventilation System Inlet and Outlet. IAEA.
Kombele, D. G., Kankunku-K, P., Mwamba, V. L., Kobakozete, J. I., Kiamana, M. M., Lukibanza, J. W., Kalala, A. T., Mfinda, D. M., Bilulu, T. L., and Ilunga, S. T. 2014. "Ageing Management of the Kinshasa Trico II Research Reactor Components and Structures. A Case Study of the 5 Tonne Overhead Travelling Crane and the Ventilation System Inlet and Outlet." IAEA.
@misc{etde_22278474,
title = {Ageing Management of the Kinshasa Trico II Research Reactor Components and Structures. A Case Study of the 5 Tonne Overhead Travelling Crane and the Ventilation System Inlet and Outlet}
author = {Kombele, D. G., Kankunku-K, P., Mwamba, V. L., Kobakozete, J. I., Kiamana, M. M., Lukibanza, J. W., Kalala, A. T., Mfinda, D. M., Bilulu, T. L., and Ilunga, S. T.}
abstractNote = {The cable isolation sheath of the overhead traveling crane became fragile and brittle on a length of more than two meters. This degradation of the sheath has been caused by the ageing of the cable and the effects of heat, with changeable ambient temperatures in the reactor hall combined with the Joule effect, in relation to the cyclic use of the crane. This ageing effect was discovered when a failure occurred at the end of a nearly completed routine operation of displacing slightly radioactive spent ion exchange resins into waste storage. During the return of the hoist to its rest position, a severe short circuit happened between the cable and the mass of the hoist motor support, followed by a strong detonation that produced sparks and immobilized the overall system. A visual examination of the cable showed a change of its physical properties as mentioned above. A further investigation showed that two master contacts of the hoist were also burned. The bridge crane was inspected and certified in January 2010 by a competent authority eleven months before the event. On the other hand, the reactor ventilation system started presenting its limits in the late 1990s after more than 17 years of operation. Many failures occurred in the extraction motors and the air conditioning system, causing both a temperature increase and a lack of negative pressure in the reactor hall. The crane problem was solved after replacing the damaged cable and the two burned contacts. A review of the overall status of the bridge crane by the licensing authority is scheduled before the end of 2011. The paper also describes steps related to the renewal of the air inlet system and the restoration of negative pressure in the reactor hall. (author)}
place = {IAEA}
year = {2014}
month = {Aug}
}