EVAPORATION REDUCTION FROM TRITIATED-WATER POOLS

Spent-fuel storage and disassembly basins at heavy water reactor facil ities have maximum allowable temperature and tritium activity levels t o protect personnel from exposure to radiation from the tritiated wate r vapor emanating from these basins. Means of reducing this exposure b y suppressing basin water evaporation through the use of monolayer fil ms are presented. The effect of tritiated wafer on the performance of the monolayer film has been experimentally examined, and tritiated wat er does not detrimentally affect the film's ability to reduce evaporat ion. Large-scale tight water experiments have demonstrated that an oct adecanol monolayer can reduce evaporation by similar to 50%. A method for applying and maintaining a monolayer film over large areas with co mplex surface geometries has been developed. The results demonstrate t he feasibility of using octadecanol monolayers to suppress evaporation from tritiated water pools.