• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제54권1호
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• pp.177-185
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• 2022

Hydrogen risk in the containment filtered venting system (CFVS) vessel was analyzed, considering operation pressure and modes with the effect of PAR and accident scenarios. The CFVS is to depressurize the containment by venting the containment atmosphere through the filtering system. The CFVS could be subject to hydrogen risk due to the change of atmospheric conditions while the containment atmosphere passes through the CFVS. It was found that hydrogen risk increased as the CFVS opening pressure was set higher because more combustible gases generated by Molten Core Concrete Interaction flowed into the CFVS. Hydrogen risk was independent of operation modes and found only at the early phase of venting both for continuous and cyclic operation modes. With PAR, hydrogen risk appeared only at the 0.9 MPa opening pressure for Station Black-Out accidents. Without PAR, however, hydrogen risk appeared even with the CFVS opening set-point of 0.5 MPa. In a slow accident like SBO, hydrogen risk was more threatening than a fast accident like Large Break Loss-of-Coolant Accident. Through this study, it is recommended to set the CFVS opening pressure lower than 0.9 MPa and to operate it in the cyclic mode to keep the CFVS available as long as possible.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제51권4호
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• pp.931-942
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• 2019

Radioactive materials are released from the molten core into the containment at the time of a severe accident in a nuclear power plant (NPP). Filtered containment venting system is a popular and effective safety measure installed to obstruct the uncontrolled escape of radioactive materials due to the over pressurization of the containment. Different designs of filtered containment venting system (FCVS) are available today, each being the result of extensive research and development varying in one way or the other. This paper gives an elaborate description of the different types of FCVS currently being used, the current usage status in over 17 countries and the legislations regarding it. The recent researches being carried out in this field has also been discussed in detail. This present paper focuses on the critical review of existing FCVS, reports the challenges faced by it and highlights the potential developments to overcome the difficulties.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제46권6호
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• pp.797-802
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• 2014

This study investigated the thermal hydraulic issues in the Containment Filtered Venting System (CFVS) for a long operating time using the MELCOR computer code. The modeling of the CFVS, including the models for pool scrubbing and the filter, was added to the input file for the OPR-1000, and a Station Blackout (SBO) was chosen as an accident scenario. Although depressurization in the containment building as a primary objective of the CFVS was successful, the decontamination feature by scrubbing and filtering in the CFVS for a long operating time could fail by the continuous evaporation of the scrubbing solution. After the operation of the CFVS, the atmosphere temperature in the CFVS became slightly above the water saturation temperature owing to the release of an amount of steam with high temperature from the containment building to the scrubbing solution. Reduced pipe diameters at the inlet and outlet of the CFVS vessel mitigated the evaporation of scrubbing water by controlling the amount of high-temperature steam and the water saturation temperature.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제52권7호
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• pp.1396-1408
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• 2020

Filtered containment venting system (FCVS) is one of the severe accident mitigation systems designed to release containment pressurization to maintain its integrity. The thermal-hydraulic behaviors in FCVSs are important since they affect the operation characteristics of the FCVS. In this study, a representative FCVS was modeled by RELAP5/Mod3.3 code, and the Station BlackOut (SBO) was chosen as an accident scenario. The thermal-hydraulic behaviors of an FCVS during long-term operation with two venting strategies (open-and-close strategy, open-and-non-close strategy) and the sensitivity analysis of important parameters were investigated. The results show that the FCVS can operate up to 250 h with a periodic open-and-close strategy during an SBO. Under the combined effects of steam condensation and water evaporation, the solution inventory in the FCVS increases during the venting phase and decreases during the intermission phase, showing a periodic pattern. Under this condition, the appropriate initial water level is 3-4 m; however, it should be adjusted according to the environment temperature. The FCVS can accommodate a decay heat power of 150-260 kW and may need to feed water for a higher decay heat power or drain water for a lower decay heat power during the late phase. The FCVS can function within an opening pressure range from 450 kPa to 500 kPa and a closing pressure range between 250 kPa and 350 kPa. When the open-and-non-close strategy is adopted, the solution inventory increases quickly in the early venting phase due to steam condensation and then decreases gradually due to the evaporation of water; drying-up may occur in the late venting phase. Decreasing the venting pipe diameter and increasing the initial water level can mitigate the evaporation of the scrubbing solution. These results are expected to provide useful references for the design and engineering application of FCVSs.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제53권6호
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• pp.1756-1768
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• 2021

The containment filtered venting system (CFVS) filters the atmosphere of the containment building and discharges a part of it to the outside environment to prevent containment overpressure during severe accidents. The Korean CFVS has a tank that filters fission products from the containment atmosphere by pool scrubbing, which is the primary decontamination process; however, prediction of its performance has been done based on researches conducted under mild conditions than those of severe accidents. Bubble behavior in a pool is a key parameter of pool scrubbing. Therefore, the bubble behavior in the pool was analyzed under various injection flow rates observed at the venturi nozzles used in the Korean CFVS using a wire-mesh sensor. Based on the experimental results, void fraction model was modified using the existing correlation, and a new bubble size prediction model was developed. The modified void fraction model agreed well with the obtained experimental data. However, the newly developed bubble size prediction model showed different results to those established in previous studies because the venturi nozzle diameter considered in this study was larger than those in previous studies. Therefore, this is the first model that reflects actual design of a venturi scrubbing nozzle.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• 제40권4호
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• pp.244-251
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• 2015

본 연구에서는 격납건물의 건전성을 유지시켜 원전 주변의 오염범위를 축소할 수 있는 격납건물 여과배기계통(containment filtered venting system, CFVS)에 초점을 맞추고, 동 설비의 설치 전 후의 피해규모를 분석하여 여과장치의 효용성을 분석하였다. 본 연구에 사용된 코드는 확률론적 영향평가 코드인 MACCS2 이며, 평가에 이용한 사고선원항은 신고리 원자력발전소 1&2 호기의 확률론적 안전성 평가 보고서의 결과를 활용하였다. 주어진 총 19 개의 사고선원항 중 선정된 3 개의 방출군에 대하여 CFVS 적용 전후의 주민이 받는 유효선량과 갑상선선량을 산출하였다. 선량평가 결과는 거리에 따른 선량으로 산출되었으며, IAEA 주민보호조치 권고 기준인 갑상선방호약품 복용 및 방호조치가 필요한 갑상선선량과 유효선량을 초과하는 거리를 기준으로 비교하였다. STC-3, STC-4, STC-6 의 거리에 따른 유효선량은 전 범위(0~35 km)에서 95~99 % 내외의 감소율을 확인할 수 있었으며, 갑상선 선량의 경우 약 96~98 % 내외의 수준으로 유효선량과는 선량감소에서의 비슷한 경향이 있음을 확인 하였다. CFVS 를 적용한 후 대피 및 소개가 취해지는 유효선량 기준값을 초과하는 거리는 모든 방출군에 대하여 평균 1 km 내외로 평가되었다. 특히 STC-4 의 경우 26 km 에서 1.2 km 로 유효 선량을 초과하는 범위가 타 방출군에 비하여 대폭 줄어든 것을 확인할 수 있었다. 갑상선선량 기준값 초과거리의 경우 CFVS 를 적용한 후의 피해범위는 2~3 km 수준으로 산출되었다. 또한 갑상선선량 평가결과는 유효선량의 경우와 같이 STC-4 에서의 피해범위가 대략 50 km 줄어들어 CFVS 적용으로 가장 큰 효과를 보았다.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제54권9호
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• pp.3310-3316
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• 2022

Owing to the rising concerns about the safety of nuclear power plants (NPP), it is essential to study the venturi scrubber in detail, which is a key component of the filtered containment venting system (FCVS). FCVS alleviates the pressurein containment byfiltering and venting out the contaminated air. Themain objective of this research was to perform a CFD investigation of different configurations of a circular, non-submerged, self-priming venturi scrubber to estimate and improve the performance in the removal of elemental iodine from the air. For benchmarking, a mass transfer model which is based on two-film theory was selected and validated by experimental data where an alkaline solution was considered as the scrubbing solution. This mass transfer model was modified and implemented on a unique formation of two self-priming venturi scrubbers in series. Euler-Euler method was used for two-phase modeling and the realizable K-ε model was used for capturing the turbulence. The obtained results showed a remarkable improvement in the removal of radioactive iodine from the air using a series combination of venturi scrubbers. The removal efficiency was improved at every single data point.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제53권3호
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• pp.812-824
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• 2021

In order to reduce risks from the Steam Generator Tube Rupture (SGTR) accident and to meet safety targets, various measures have been analyzed to minimize the amount of fission product (FP) release. In this paper, we propose an introduction of a Containment Filtered Venting System (CFVS) connected to the steam generator secondary side, which can reduce the amount of FP release while minimizing adverse effects identified in the previous studies. In order to compare the effect of new equipment with the existing strategy, accident simulations using MELCOR were performed. As a result of simulations, it is confirmed that CFVS operation lowers FP release into the environment, and the release fractions are lower (minimum 0.6% of the initial inventory for Cs) than that of the strategy which intends to depressurize the primary system directly (minimum 15.2% for Cs). The sensitivity analyses identify that refill of the CFVS vessel is a dominant contributor reducing the amount of FP released. As the new strategy has the possibility of hydrogen combustion and detonation in CFVS, the installation of an igniter inside the CFVS vessel may be considered in reducing such hydrogen risk.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제55권1호
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• pp.169-179
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• 2023

Filtered containment system is a passive safety system that controls the over-pressurization of containment in case of a design-based accidents by venting high pressure gaseous mixture, consisting of air, steam and radioactive particulate and gases like iodine, via a scrubbing system. An indigenous lab scale facility was developed for research on iodine removal by venturi scrubber by simulating the accidental scenario. A mixture of 0.2 % sodium thiosulphate and 0.5 % sodium hydroxide, was used in scrubbing column. A modified mathematical model was presented for iodine removal in venturi scrubber. Improvement in model was made by addition of important parameters like jet penetration length, bubble rise velocity and gas holdup which were not considered previously. Experiments were performed by varying hydrodynamic parameters like liquid level height and gas flow rates to see their effect on removal efficiency of iodine. Gas holdup was also measured for various liquid level heights and gas flowrates. Removal efficiency increased with increase in liquid level height and gas flowrate up to an optimum point beyond that efficiency was decreased. Experimental results of removal efficiency were compared with the predicted results, and they were found to be in good agreement. Maximum removal efficiency of 99.8% was obtained.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제47권1호
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• pp.11-25
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• 2015

The accident at Japan's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in March 2011, caused by an earthquake and a subsequent tsunami, resulted in a failure of the power systems that are needed to cool the reactors at the plant. The accident progression in the absence of heat removal systems caused Units 1-3 to undergo fuel melting. Containment pressurization and hydrogen explosions ultimately resulted in the escape of radioactivity from reactor containments into the atmosphere and ocean. Problems in containment venting operation, leakage from primary containment boundary to the reactor building, improper functioning of standby gas treatment system (SGTS), unmitigated hydrogen accumulation in the reactor building were identified as some of the reasons those added-up in the severity of the accident. The Fukushima accident not only initiated worldwide demand for installation of adequate control and mitigation measures to minimize the potential source term to the environment but also advocated assessment of the existing mitigation systems performance behavior under a wide range of postulated accident scenarios. The uncertainty in estimating the released fraction of the radionuclides due to the Fukushima accident also underlined the need for comprehensive understanding of fission product behavior as a function of the thermal hydraulic conditions and the type of gaseous, aqueous, and solid materials available for interaction, e.g., gas components, decontamination paint, aerosols, and water pools. In the light of the Fukushima accident, additional experimental needs identified for hydrogen and fission product issues need to be investigated in an integrated and optimized way. Additionally, as more and more passive safety systems, such as passive autocatalytic recombiners and filtered containment venting systems are being retrofitted in current reactors and also planned for future reactors, identified hydrogen and fission product issues will need to be coupled with the operation of passive safety systems in phenomena oriented and coupled effects experiments. In the present paper, potential hydrogen and fission product issues raised by the Fukushima accident are discussed. The discussion focuses on hydrogen and fission product behavior inside nuclear power plant containments under severe accident conditions. The relevant experimental investigations conducted in the technical scale containment THAI (thermal hydraulics, hydrogen, aerosols, and iodine) test facility (9.2 m high, 3.2 m in diameter, and $60m^3$ volume) are discussed in the light of the Fukushima accident.