再処理施設の高レベル廃液蒸発乾固事故でのFP硝酸塩の脱硝に伴い発生するNOxの化学的挙動解析

Analysis of chemical behavior of nitrogen oxide formed by thermal decomposition of FP nitrates in accident of evaporation to dryness by boiling of reprocessed high-level liquid waste

吉田 一雄 ; 玉置 等史 ; 吉田 尚生  ; 吉田 涼一朗 ; 天野 祐希 ; 阿部 仁 

Yoshida, Kazuo; Tamaki, Hitoshi; Yoshida, Naoki; Yoshida, Ryoichiro; Amano, Yuki; Abe, Hitoshi

再処理施設で想定される重大事故の一つに高レベル廃液貯槽の蒸発乾固事故がある。高レベル廃液には、再処理で取り除かれた核分裂生成物の硝酸塩が含まれ、それらの崩壊熱で発熱するため常時冷却する必要がある。このため全電源の喪失により冷却機能が全喪失した状態が継続した場合、廃液が沸騰しいずれ乾固する。乾固時には、廃液に含まれる硝酸塩の熱分解による脱硝反応が進行しNOxガスが発生する。本報では、硝酸-水混合蒸気系の雰囲気でのNOx系の化学種の化学変化をレビューし、それに基づき再処理施設の高レベル廃液の蒸発乾固事故での建屋区画内での熱流動及び各化学種の濃度変化の解析モデルを提案し、実規模体系での解析を試行した結果を示す。その結果を基にRuの施設外への移行量評価の高度化に向けた課題を提言する。

An accident of evaporation to dryness by boiling of high level liquid waste (HLLW) is postulated as one of the severe accidents at a fuel reprocessing plant. In this case, volatile radioactive materials, such as ruthenium (Ru) are released from the tanks with water and nitric-acid mixed vapor into atmosphere. In addition to this, nitrogen oxides are also released formed by the thermal decomposition of metal nitrates of fission products (FP) in HLLW. It has been observed experimentally that nitrogen oxide affects strongly to the transport behavior of Ru. Chemical reactions of nitrogen oxide with water and nitric acid are also recognized as the complex phenomena to undergo simultaneously in the vapor and liquid phases. An analysis method has been developed with coupling two types of computer codes to simulate not only thermo-hydraulic behavior but also chemical reactions in the flow paths of carrier gases. A simulation study has been also carried out with a typical facility building.