Laser-induced aerosols,predominantly submicron in size,pose significant environmental and health risks during the decommissioning of nuclear reactors.This study experimentally investigated the removal of laser-generat...Laser-induced aerosols,predominantly submicron in size,pose significant environmental and health risks during the decommissioning of nuclear reactors.This study experimentally investigated the removal of laser-generated aerosol particles using a water spray system integrated with an innovative system for pre-injecting electrically charged mist in our facility.To simulate aerosol generation in reactor decommissioning,a high-power laser was used to irradiate various materials(including stainless steel,carbon steel,and concrete),generating aerosol particles that were agglomerated with injected water mist and subsequently scavenged by water spray.Experimental results demonstrate enhanced aerosol removal via aerosol-mist agglomeration,with charged mist significantly improving particle capture by increasing wettability and size.The average improvements for the stainless steel,carbon steel,and concrete were 40%,44%,and 21%,respectively.The results of experiments using charged mist with different polarities(both positive and negative)and different surface coatings reveal that the dominant polarity of aerosols varies with the irradiated materials,influenced by their crystal structure and electron emission properties.Notably,surface coatings such as ZrO_(2)and CeO_(2)were found to possibly alter aerosol charging characteristics,thereby affecting aerosol removal efficiency with charged mist configurations.The innovative aerosol-mist agglomeration approach shows promise in mitigating radiation exposure,ensuring environmental safety,and reducing contaminated water during reactor dismantling.This study contributes critical knowledge for the development of advanced aerosol management strategies for nuclear reactor decommissioning.The understanding obtained in this work is also expected to be useful for various environmental and chemical engineering applications such as gas decontamination,air purification,and pollution control.展开更多
During the decommissioning of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant,it is important to consider the retrieval of resolidified debris both in air and underwater configurations.For the subsequent retrieval of debris...During the decommissioning of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant,it is important to consider the retrieval of resolidified debris both in air and underwater configurations.For the subsequent retrieval of debris from the reactor building,the resolidified debris must be cut into smaller pieces using various cutting methods.During the cutting process,aerosol particles are expected to be generated at the submicron scale.It has been noted that such aerosols sizing within the Greenfield gap(0.1-1μm)are difficult to remove effectively using traditional spraying methods.Therefore,to improve the aerosol removal efficiency of the spray system,a new aerosol agglomeration method was recently proposed,which involves injecting water mist to enlarge the sizes of the aerosol particles before removing them using water sprays.In this study,a series of experiments were performed to clarify the proper spray configurations for effective aerosol scavenging and to improve the performance of the water mist.The experimental results showed that the spray flow rate and droplet characteristics are important factors for the aerosol-scavenging efficiency and performance of the water mist.The results obtained from this study will be helpful for the optimization of the spray system design for effective aerosol scavenging during the decommissioning of the Fukushima Daiichi plant.展开更多
基金financial support from the Nuclear Energy Science&Technology and Human Resource Development Project of the Japan Atomic Energy Agency/Collaborative Laboratories for Advanced Decommissioning Science(No.R04I034)The author Ruicong Xu appreciates the scholarship(financial support)from the China Scholarship Council(CSC,No.202106380073).
文摘Laser-induced aerosols,predominantly submicron in size,pose significant environmental and health risks during the decommissioning of nuclear reactors.This study experimentally investigated the removal of laser-generated aerosol particles using a water spray system integrated with an innovative system for pre-injecting electrically charged mist in our facility.To simulate aerosol generation in reactor decommissioning,a high-power laser was used to irradiate various materials(including stainless steel,carbon steel,and concrete),generating aerosol particles that were agglomerated with injected water mist and subsequently scavenged by water spray.Experimental results demonstrate enhanced aerosol removal via aerosol-mist agglomeration,with charged mist significantly improving particle capture by increasing wettability and size.The average improvements for the stainless steel,carbon steel,and concrete were 40%,44%,and 21%,respectively.The results of experiments using charged mist with different polarities(both positive and negative)and different surface coatings reveal that the dominant polarity of aerosols varies with the irradiated materials,influenced by their crystal structure and electron emission properties.Notably,surface coatings such as ZrO_(2)and CeO_(2)were found to possibly alter aerosol charging characteristics,thereby affecting aerosol removal efficiency with charged mist configurations.The innovative aerosol-mist agglomeration approach shows promise in mitigating radiation exposure,ensuring environmental safety,and reducing contaminated water during reactor dismantling.This study contributes critical knowledge for the development of advanced aerosol management strategies for nuclear reactor decommissioning.The understanding obtained in this work is also expected to be useful for various environmental and chemical engineering applications such as gas decontamination,air purification,and pollution control.
基金financially supported by the Nuclear Energy Science and Technology and Human Resource Development Project of the Japan Atomic Energy Agency/Collaborative Laboratories for Advanced Decommissioning Science(No.R04I034)Ruicong Xu appreciates the scholarship(financial support)from the Chinese Scholarship Council(CSC No.202106380073).
文摘During the decommissioning of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant,it is important to consider the retrieval of resolidified debris both in air and underwater configurations.For the subsequent retrieval of debris from the reactor building,the resolidified debris must be cut into smaller pieces using various cutting methods.During the cutting process,aerosol particles are expected to be generated at the submicron scale.It has been noted that such aerosols sizing within the Greenfield gap(0.1-1μm)are difficult to remove effectively using traditional spraying methods.Therefore,to improve the aerosol removal efficiency of the spray system,a new aerosol agglomeration method was recently proposed,which involves injecting water mist to enlarge the sizes of the aerosol particles before removing them using water sprays.In this study,a series of experiments were performed to clarify the proper spray configurations for effective aerosol scavenging and to improve the performance of the water mist.The experimental results showed that the spray flow rate and droplet characteristics are important factors for the aerosol-scavenging efficiency and performance of the water mist.The results obtained from this study will be helpful for the optimization of the spray system design for effective aerosol scavenging during the decommissioning of the Fukushima Daiichi plant.
