NUCLEAR TECHNIQUES, Volume. 47, Issue 10, 100401(2024)

A small volume radon progeny aerosol control device and its performance

Tianyu DENG... Jian SHAN*, Xiangming CAI, Haoxuan LI, Hongliang LI and Xuwei ZENG |Show fewer author(s)
Author Affiliations
  • School of Nuclear Science and Technology, University of South China, Hengyang 421001, China
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    Background

    Nuclear sites require monitoring of artificial radioactive aerosols, but existing instruments often encounter the problem of "measurement uncertainty (radon progeny interference)" in the measurement of artificial radioactive aerosols, requiring effective calibration of radon daughter interference levels.

    Purpose

    This study aims to accurately calibrate the radon progeny measurement instruments and effectively calibratt the radon progeny aerosol interference levels for artificial radioactive aerosol monitoring instruments.

    Methods

    Based on the behavior patterns of aerosol particles and radon along with its progeny, a small volume radon progeny aerosol control device was developed, which was composed of aerosol dilution loop, radon progeny regulation loop, and controller with programmable logic controller (PLC) control system. In the aerosol dilution loop, varying concentrations of carrier aerosols was achieved by utilizing a circulating pump in conjunction with a aerosol generator. In the radon progeny regulation loop, different levels of radon sources were employed to achieve regulation of radon activity concentration. Radon progeny aerosol with stable radon progeny state parameters was achieved by adjusting the radon concentration, aerosol concentration and air exchange rate, and the performance of this device was verified by experiments.

    Results

    Experimental results show that the stable regulation range of equilibrium equivalent concentration (EEC) is 3.3×102~9.4×103 Bq?m-3, stable regulation range of equilibrium factor: 0.12~0.58, stable regulation range of unbound fraction: 1.4%~62.7%. The variation range of EEC within 4 h is within 10%, and the relative standard deviation of the uniformity experiment is less than 7%.

    Conclusions

    The stable regulation range of the radon progeny state parameters of the small volume radon progeny aerosol control device proposed in this study is wide, and the uniformity and stability of the radon progeny are good. It can be used to effectively simulate the field measurement environment, achieving the development purpose of this device.

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    Tianyu DENG, Jian SHAN, Xiangming CAI, Haoxuan LI, Hongliang LI, Xuwei ZENG. A small volume radon progeny aerosol control device and its performance[J]. NUCLEAR TECHNIQUES, 2024, 47(10): 100401

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    Paper Information

    Category: NUCLEAR ELECTRONICS AND INSTRUMENTATION

    Received: Mar. 12, 2024

    Accepted: --

    Published Online: Dec. 13, 2024

    The Author Email: SHAN Jian (SHANJian)

    DOI:10.11889/j.0253-3219.2024.hjs.47.100401

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