Nuclear Engineering and Technology

Korean Nuclear Society (한국원자력학회)
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Investigation of transport of radionuclide in a thermal stratification test facility using radiotracer technique

  • Pant, Harish Jagat (Isotope and Radiation Application Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Center) ;
  • Goswami, Sunil (Isotope and Radiation Application Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Center) ;
  • Chafle, Sunil B. (Atomic Energy Regulatory Board, Bhabha Atomic Research Center) ;
  • Sharma, Vijay Kumar (Isotope and Radiation Application Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Center) ;
  • Kotak, Vimal (Research Reactor Design and Projects Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Center) ;
  • Shukla, Vikram (Research Reactor Design and Projects Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Center) ;
  • Mishra, Amitanshu (Research Reactor Design and Projects Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Center) ;
  • Gohel, Nilesh C. (Research Reactor Design and Projects Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Center) ;
  • Bhattacharya, Sujay (Research Reactor Design and Projects Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Center)
  • Received : 2021.08.18
  • Accepted : 2021.10.19
  • Published : 2022.04.25
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Abstract

A radiotracer investigation was carried out in a Thermal Stratification Test Facility (TSTF) with objectives of investigating the dispersion and diffusion of radionuclide and effectiveness of the thermocline to minimize the radionuclide content in the hot water layer. Technetium-99m (99mTc) as sodium pertechnetate was used as a radiotracer in the investigation. Qualitative analysis showed that a thermocline is formed within the TSTF and is effective in preventing the transport of radionuclide from bottom section to the top section of the facility. It was found that the radiotracer injected at the bottom of the pool took about 17.4 h to disperse from bottom to the top of the facility. The results of the investigation helped in understanding the effectiveness of hot water layer and thus to minimize the pool top radiation levels.

Keywords

Acknowledgement

This work presented in this paper was carried out as part of ongoing research and development activities of Bhabha Atomic Research Center, Mumbai and was fully funded by Government of India. Authors wish to express their sincere gratitude to Dr. P. K. Pujari, Director, Radiochemistry and Isotope Group, BARC for his support during the investigation

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