What are Containment NPPs?
A containment tower strong , is a reinforced steel or lead structure that contains a nuclear reactor. It is designed, for any emergency, to be able to contain the escaping radioactive vapor or gas at a maximum pressure in the range of 275 to 550 kPa (40 to 80 psi).
Containment is the fourth and last barrier to radioactive release (part of the defense-in-depth strategy of a nuclear reactor), the first being the ceramic of the fuel itself, the second the metal fuel cladding tubes and the third the vessel. of the reactor and the cooling system.
Nuclear accidents with containment failures followed by a release of radioactive material into the environment have led to changes in regulatory requirements. Nuclear Power Plants (NPP) are originally designed for Design Basis Accidents (DBA).
- Extended regulatory requirements require safety updates, especially in terms of Accidents Beyond Design (BDBA). These requirements affect many different systems and can lead to costly modifications and extensive modernizations.
Containment systems for nuclear power plants improve plant safety and comply with up-to-date regulatory requirements around the world while taking into account budget constraints. We implement the necessary modifications with the least possible downtime. Cost-effective and tailor-made solutions facilitate continuous plant operation.
Containment safety equipment includes preventive systems and accident management systems beyond basic design (BDBA).
This group of characteristics specifies the structure around a reactor, designed to protect the reactor from external intrusion and protect the exterior from the effects of radiation, in the event of a malfunction within the structure. Except for the reactor, the containment usually contains all the components of the reactor’s cooling system. They are designed to withstand the maximum expected pressure after a design-based accident (DBA), in which case they are called full pressure containments, or they may have systems in place to reduce the containment of the DBA pressure, when they are called suppression containments. pressure. Containment must be tight enough to keep any radioactive gas released within the structure.