METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR REMOVING FISSION PRODUCTS FROM THE COOLANT OF A SODIUM-COOLED NUCLEAR REACTOR

摘要

1393355 Cooling nuclear reactors WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC CORP 29 May 1973 [9 June 1972] 25473/73 Heading G6C In a process for removing Cs 137, 1131 or tritium fission products from the coolant of a sodium-cooled nuclear reactor, hydrogen is added to a portion of the coolant which has been diverted from the main stream, the diverted portion is cooled to form a precipitate of sodium hydride containing the fission products, the precipitate is removed, and the diverted coolant is returned to the main stream. Hydrogen is introduced into the liquid sodium coolant by passing hydrogen under pressure through a thin walled tube immersed in the diverted part of the coolant at about 1000‹ F. On cooling to about 250‹ F., sodium hydride containing the fission products is precipitated on to wire mesh. By continuing treatment of the diverted portion of the coolant, the fission product content of the whole of the coolant is reduced to a safe level.