Environment control system

Patent · Sun Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1978

OSTI ID:863238

Sammarone, Dino G ^[1]

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1. Edgewood Borough, PA

A system for controlling the environment of an enclosed area in nuclear reactor installations. The system permits the changing of the environment from nitrogen to air, or from air to nitrogen, without the release of any radioactivity or process gas to the outside atmosphere. In changing from a nitrogen to an air environment, oxygen is inserted into the enclosed area at the same rate which the nitrogen-oxygen gas mixture is removed from the enclosed area. The nitrogen-oxygen gas mixture removed from the enclosed area is mixed with hydrogen, the hydrogen recombining with the oxygen present in the gas to form water. The water is then removed from the system and, if it contains any radioactive products, can be utilized to form concrete, which can then be transferred to a licensed burial site. The process gas is purified further by stripping it of carbon dioxide and then distilling it to remove any xenon, krypton, and other fission or non-condensable gases. The pure nitrogen is stored as either a cryogenic liquid or a gas. In changing from an air to nitrogen environment, the gas is removed from the enclosed area, mixed with hydrogen to remove the oxygen present, dried, passed through adsorption beds to remove any fission gases, and reinserted into the enclosed area. Additionally, the nitrogen stored during the nitrogen to air change, is inserted into the enclosed area, the nitrogen from both sources being inserted into the enclosed area at the same rate as the removal of the gas from the containment area. As designed, the amount of nitrogen stored during the nitrogen to air change substantially equals that required to replace oxygen removed during an air to nitrogen change.

• DOE Contract Number: AT(11-1)-3046
• Assignee: United States of America as representedby United States (Washington, DC)
• Patent Number(s): US 4129476
• OSTI ID: 863238
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

environment
control
controlling
enclosed
nuclear
reactor
installations
permits
changing
nitrogen
air
release
radioactivity
process
gas
outside
atmosphere
oxygen
inserted
rate
nitrogen-oxygen
mixture
removed
mixed
hydrogen
recombining
form
water
contains
radioactive
products
utilized
concrete
transferred
licensed
burial
site
purified
stripping
carbon
dioxide
distilling
remove
xenon
krypton
fission
non-condensable
gases
pure
stored
cryogenic
liquid
dried
passed
adsorption
beds
reinserted
additionally
change
sources
removal
containment
designed
amount
substantially
equals
required
replace
oxygen gas
process gas
carbon dioxide
nuclear reactor
gas mixture
substantially equal
fission gas
non-condensable gas
nitrogen environment
fission gases
form water
reactor installations
reactor installation
/376/96/976/