Preparation of the spent fuel from the AMB reactor for shipment required the development of a facility for safe cutting and encapsulation of the SNF components. The facility to be located in the main building at the Beloyarsk NPP incorporates eight specialized areas, each of which is dedicated to a specific task. In cutting the SFAs, the increased gamma and neutron radiation fields, as well as alpha and beta radiation induced by radioactive aerosols and inert gases releasing from the fuel have to be taken into account. Radioactive aerosols may arise from decontamination of rooms and equipment, as well as handling of the SNF packages.
The equipment and administrative measures developed to protect the personnel, public, and environment during operations includes a specialized radiation monitoring system, which was designed and fabricated by the Sosny R&D Company and successfully tested at the Research Institute of Atomic Reactors, Dimitrovgrad, Russia.
The RMS lower level incorporates channels for monitoring of gamma and neutron radiation, the volumetric activity of alpha and beta aerosols, as well as laboratory and hand-held instruments that are capable of sending data via a PC communication interface.
The upper-level equipment ensures data processing, storage and archiving, database keeping, equipment testing, and display of measurement results either in a tabulated form, or a mnemonic diagram.
The criticality accident alarm system (CAAS) for the AMB spent fuel cutting/encapsulation facility is designed to detect a criticality excursion and activate alarms for immediate evacuation of operators. Also, the CAAS system supports gamma radiation monitoring within the EDR range in gamma detector locations.
The project identified control points, the type of the alarm dosimeter, the boundaries of the nuclear-hazardous area, audible and light alarm locations, and personnel evacuation routes.
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