Study for highly functional resin (macroporous resin) superior in removing micro particles in PWR primary circuit: on-site test

In Japanese PWR plants, efforts to remove particulate constituents containing radioactive cobalt which provides a source of radiation exposure, are needed. Performance evaluation study was conducted for macroporous resin which was said to possess excellent performance in removing particulate constituents and whose practical accomplishment at plants in USA was reported to be good. As one of the means for radiation exposure reduction in PWR, a study for application of crud removing resin to actual plant was executed by laboratory experiments using simulated crud (Fe₃O₄ particle). In this study, following two mechanisms were demonstrated as the particle capturing mechanism of macroporous resin; physical trapping by fine pores on resin surface; electrical adsorption onto resin surface. In addition, in parallel to the study for application of macroporous resin to actual PWR plant, on-site study was planned to investigate the primary system water chemistry during various stages of actual plant operation and to research performance of particle capturing in detail. As the on-site study, column experiments, there water was let pass through the column, were planned for various operation stage (startup period, power operation period and shutdown period). A kind of conventional gel-type resin and three kinds of macroporous resin were examined for onsite tests. As to particulate capturing, basic knowledge regarding capturing efficiency and influence of water chemistry on capturing performance were ordered. Capturing performance of each resin tested became clear and was ordered by comparison. Effectiveness of macroporous resin with regard to crud removal in primary coolant was confirmed. (author)