Decontamination of nuclear plant components in vacuum chamber - using deionised water sprayed at high pressure and pref. using continuous extraction system

摘要

Radioactive surface contamination is removed from vessels, machine components, etc. by spraying the element, in a chamber contg. no air, with a high-pressure jet of detonate at predetermined temp. and then drying it. The detonate is extracted and collected, while the vacuum in the chamber prevents the escape of radioactive aerosols. Pref. deionised water is used as detonate. An effective cleaning method without the use of pickling chemicals is obtd. depending entirely on physical processes of a thermodynamic nature. The high pressure produces a large number of very small water jets having dimensions of the same order of magnitude as the structural components of the surface. A very high degree of decontamination is achieved.