Abstract:
Water is a vital process fluid in Nuclear Power Plants (NPPs) as a coolant. In major fraction of worlds NPPs, water also plays the role of moderator for neutrons. This raw water used in NPPs comes from lakes & rivers, underground water reserves and sea sources and it contains different contaminants and impurities. It is always desired to eliminate these impurities or mitigate their harmful effects. Impurities in the reactor water are controlled through different measures such as efficient make up water treatment; Continuous filtration of ionic as well as particulate (rust, crud) contaminants from reactor water and ; Dosing of treating chemicals to mitigate the effects of harmful impurities. These measures reduce corrosion and radioactivity considerably, but do not completely eliminate them. Occasionally further control measures becomes necessary that include; Replacement of alloy materials susceptible to corrosion with more resistant alloys and Decontamination of reactor cooling system to remove deposited radioactivity etc. Waste water, generated at different stages, contains radioactive contaminants that also need treatment before reuse of release to environment. In this article a brief overview of the technologies involved in the above mentioned control measures, alongwith some latest developments in the fields are presented. The IE resins play a key role in water purification/treatment in NPPs. Special high purity resins called reactor nuclear grade resins are employed in NPPs. A brief account of the chemical nature, synthesis, and properties of nuclear grade resins is also given. At the end, some developments in analytical techniques for monitoring of contaminants are briefly introduced.
Page(s):
56-73
DOI:
DOI not available
Published:
Journal: New Horizons: Journal of the Institution of Electrical & Electronics Engineers Pakistan, Volume: 34, Issue: , Year: 1998