Feasibility on the Rupture-Diagnosing of Heat-Transfer Pipe by Tritium Monitoring in Loop Water of Nuclear Power Plant

Heat-transfer pipe rupture detection of steam generator is an important content of the reactor process monitoring.The producing mechanism of tritium in nuclear power plant loop water and the transi tion process of tritium in loop water under accident were discussed firstly.And then,the radioactive con centration of tritium in primary and secondary loop water from four nuclear power plants were measured re spectively by using liquid scintillation counter.Experimental results show that the activity concentration of tritium in the purified primary loop water is at least two orders of magnitude,namely 633,893,188 and 394 times higher than that of the secondary loop water respectively.This indicates that it would be feasible to diagnose the heat-transfer pipe rupture detection of steam generator by monitoring the radioactive con centration of tritium in secondary loop water,however,further research of on-line monitoring techniques of tritium is needed.