NUCLEAR REACTOR DESIGN DECONTAMINATION METHOD Russian patent published in 2020 - IPC G21F5/00 

FIELD: nuclear engineering.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to nuclear engineering. Method of decontaminating of the nuclear reactor structure element involves processing the nuclear reactor structure element with low-temperature plasma while feeding a stream of chemically inert gas. To the selected area on the surface of the structural member, an electrode is fed, a plasma discharge is initiated between the surface of the structural member connected as a cathode and the electrode connected as an anode, operating parameters of the discharge effective for sputtering the cathode surface are selected. Cathode is sprayed. Electrode and gas line are discharged to remove chemically inert gas from discharge zone to temperature sufficient for deposition of atomized atoms on electrode and main surface. After the cathode surface is sprayed to the specified depth, the electrode is moved to a new selected treatment site and the method operations are repeated until complete processing of the entire surface of the deactivated structural element.

EFFECT: invention makes it possible to considerably reduce radioactivity of treated elements of structures of nuclear power plants, to reduce volume of formed radioactive wastes.

19 cl, 4 dwg