Containment atmosphere monitoring system for design and beyond design basis accident

Bentaib, A.*; Janin, T.*; Porcheron, E.*; Magne, S.*; Leroy, M.*; Dhote, J.*; Ruffien Ciszak, A.*; Sun, Haomin   

To prevent hydrogen explosion hazard during a severe accident, dedicated mitigation strategies were adopted according to plants design and improved as results of stress tests after the Fukushima accident. The strategies commonly used combine the implementation of safety components, as the passive autocatalytic recombiners (PARs), and the definition of adequate SAMGs (Severe Accident Management Guidelines). Concerning French PWRs, SAMGs procedure relies on information provided by limited monitoring systems as pressure, core exit temperature and dose rate sensors. The containment atmosphere gaseous composition is not monitored and only PARs are equipped with thermocouples to detect hydrogen through the heat release of the exothermic recombination reaction. In the framework of the MITHYGENE project, a prototypic device had been developed based on Raman probes connected by optical fibers to a transportable unit. Several qualification campaigns had been conducted to check the effect of severe accident representative conditions, including radiation, on the device response. This paper aims to present an overview of the device development and qualification and presents its potential implementation inside the containment.