Thermosyphon evaporator for nuclear waste management application

Nuclear plant equipment are associated with radioactive material which needs to be safely contained under all conditions of operation. Because of large radioactivity associated with the operations of nuclear waste management plants, the equipment are not accessible to human intervention. Hence, the design of the equipment needs to incorporate features for high reliability and safety so as to avoid unnecessary outage. As far as possible the equipment must be maintenance free. Wherever maintenance is inevitable, it has to be designed to be carried out without exposure of personnel to radiation, preventing spread of radiation or contamination. This paper outlines the design features of a thermosyphon evaporator for nuclear application. (author)