Thermographic Method of Activated Carbon Packing Quality Diagnostics in NPP Air Filters

Abstract

The work is devoted to the tasks of safe operation of nuclear power plants, namely the prevention of inert radioactive gases, iodine, and its compounds from entering the air. The latter is particularly dangerous because it can accumulate in the human body. One of the methods of air purification is the use of air filters filled with activated carbon granules that have undergone preliminary treatment of thermal expansion and impregnation. At the same time, there is a problem with evaluating the change in local aerodynamic resistance as a result of the shape change of granules and their compaction when activated carbon is filled into the filter. For this purpose, the model that calculates the spatial field of movement of ventilation gases through a chamber that simulates an adsorber of the AU-1500 type filled with carbon granules was created. To verify the model, it was necessary to develop approaches to the assessment of the topology of the intergranular space and to draw up ideas about the possible inhomogeneities of such topology due to inhomogeneities in the compaction of granules during backfilling and vibration effects during operation. Therefore, an experimental model based on the assumption that air passage channels are spatially contiguous with electric current passage channels if a potential difference is applied to the "input-output" sections was proposed. Clusters of areas with heterogeneous packing by measuring the temperature distribution, which is released in the form of Joule heat were identified. Correlations between the characteristics of the spread of temperature fields and modes of current trans-mission have been established. It is shown that the obtained experimental data correlate with theoretical calculations of the flow of ventilation gases. The created set of methods allows optimization of the aerodynamic characteristics of the filter to improve their functional properties.