An Investigation of Spray Performance to Remove Gaseous Iodine- Approach to mitigate the consequences of severe accident

New technological approaches need to be in place to address such concern which has significantly deteriorated public confidence in nuclear power. Such technological approach must be capable of systematically mitigate the consequence of severe nuclear accidents involving radioactivity release. An example of such approach is spray technology. In case of an accident involving radioactivity release to the environment, it may possible to deploy spray system to quickly respond to the released radioactivity and to minimize the impact of accidental releases on humans and the environment. During early phase of Fukushima nuclear accident mitigation process, water spray operations were carried out through fire trucks and military helicopters, but the primary concern of such operations was to cool down the reactor and to extinguish the fire and not to minimize the spread of radioactive materials. The aim of this research is to investigate spray technology for effective and efficient capturing of fission products released from leaked/damaged nuclear reactor to the environment. For this purpose, a systematic approach with in depth information about release phenomena and spray features will be required. Based on the information regarding release phenomena including types of materials and their amount and size, release locations, release conditions such as rates, velocities, temperature, etc., requirements for spray application is being developed including spray material types (foam, mist etc.), spray solution additives, flow rates, pressure, drop size, spray coverage area and spray duration, etc. Subsequently the efficiency and effectiveness of spray system to reduce the Dispersion of radioactivity in the environment during the course of severe accident can be characterized. This paper is a summary of our initial investigation for the use of spray technology to reduce the consequence of severe nuclear accident. An experimental investigation of iodine removal efficiency in a spray chamber is demonstrated. The spray solution of pH 13 was prepared by adding 0.5 % NaOH and 0.2 % Na₂S₂O₃. At constant carrier gas flow rate, the iodine removal efficiency was found to increase with increasing the spray flow rate