Study on emergency ventilation optimization method for tritium leakage accident of high-pressure storage vessel

Abstract

In the process of tritium storage, the high-pressure storage vessel may be damaged due to accidental conditions, such as impact or drop, which results in tritium leakage. The tritium gas will be released and diffused into the space immediately, which inevitably causes radioactive hazards to personnel and the environment. Ventilation is considered to be the best emergency treatment method for a tritium leakage accident. According to the characteristics of fixed tritium amount and rapid release of tritium in the tritium leakage accident of the high-pressure storage vessel, the numerical simulation of high-pressure released tritium behavior in a confined space is carried out based on Fluent and compared with CATS test data. The error is no more than 5%. The ventilation conditions are optimized according to different ventilation positions and different ventilation rates. It is founded that the tritium removal efficiency when the vent is set on the roof is 30% higher than that on the side wall. The tritium concentration in a confined space can be reduced to the background level after ventilation for 30 min at a rate of 0.5 m3 s−1. The optimal recovery time of the environment is given, which provides technical support for the emergency treatment of the tritium leakage accident of the high-pressure storage vessel.