東海再処理施設の安全性確認に係る基本データの確認-放射線分解により発生する水素の検討-

Review of design data for safety assessment of Tokai reprocessing plant; Control of hydrogen gas produced by radiolysis of reprocessing solutions at Tokai reprocessing plant

大森 栄一; 駿河谷 直樹 ; 高谷 暁和; 中村 博文 ; 槇 彰; 山内 孝道

Omori, Eiichi; not registered; not registered; not registered; Maki, Akira; Yamanouchi, Takamichi

核燃料再処理施設に設置される各機器内では、プロセス液中に内蔵する放射性核種の崩壊に伴う放射線分解に起因し、水素を含むガスが発生することで知られている。水素は機器内空間で爆発下限界濃度に達し、かつ着火源が存在すると爆発を生じる可能性がある。こうした施設では、基本的に機器内から着火源を排除するよう考慮がなされているが、爆発事故防止の観点から機器内の水素濃度を爆発下限界に達しないよう管理することが重要である。今回、東海再処理施設の安全性を上記の観点で確認するため、本施設に設置される各機器の水素濃度を機器に供給される気体量を考慮して評価した。また、誤操作等が原因で機器内に供給される気体量が減少する場合も想定して、水素濃度が爆発下限界濃度を超えないように管理する方法についても検討した。その結果、運転管理を適正に行うことにより、殆どの機器において水素濃度が爆発下限界未満に抑制されることが確認できた。水素濃度が爆発下限界に達する可能性がある機器については、設備の改善等が必要であることが示された。

Radioactive materials in aqueous solution at a nuclear fuel reprocessing plant causes radiolytic generalion of several gases including hydrogen. Hydrogen accumulating in equipment can be an explosion hazard. In such plants, though the consideration in the design has been fundamentally made in order to remove the ignition source from the equipment, the hydrogen concentration in the equipment should not exceed the explosion threshold. It is, therefore, desired to keep the hydrogen concentration lower than the explosion threshold by diluting with the air introduced into equipment, from the viewpoint which previously prevents the explosion. This report describes the calculation of hydrogen generation, evaluation of hydrogen concentration under abnormal operation and consideration of possible improvement at Tokai Reprocessing Plant. The amount of hydrogen generation was calculated for each equipment from available data on radiolysis induced by radioactive materials. Taking into consideration for abnormal condition that is single failure of air supply and loss of power supply, the investigation was made on the method for controlling so that the hydrogen concentration may not exceed the explosion threshold. Possible means which can control the concentration of hydrogen gas under the explosion threshold have been also investigated. As the result, it was found that hydrogen concentration of most equipment was kept under the explosion threshold. It was also shown that improvement of the facility was necessary on the equipment in which the concentration of the hydrogen may exceed the explosion threshold. Proposals based on the above results are also given in this report. The above content has been described in "Examination of the hydrogen produced by the radiolysis" which is a part of "Review of Design Data for Safety Assessment of Tokai Reprocessing Plant" (JNC TN8410 99-002) published in February 1999. This report incorporates the detail evaluation so that operation ...