Products & Technology

LT-ZiP™ Dose Reduction & Passivation Treatment

LT-ZiP™ is a chemical treatment applied after chemical decontamination to mitigate recontamination during subsequent plant operation and preserve the dose rate reduction benefits achieved via chemical decontamination. LT-ZiP™ is applied at low temperature immediately after chemical decontamination (same refueling outage). The process deposits zinc and platinum on piping surfaces which becomes incorporated into protective oxides when the plant returns to power operation. The zinc serves to suppress the uptake of Co-60, Co-58 and other radioisotopes, while the platinum protects the piping from intergranular stress corrosion cracking (IGSCC). LT-ZiP™ and HE-UFC™ can also be performed concurrently to further mitigate recontamination after chemical decontamination. HE-UFC™ substantially reduces the source term available for recontamination as LT-ZiP™ suppresses radioisotope uptake during subsequent operation.

Non-Intrusive Ultrasonic Decontamination (NU-DEC™)

NU-DEC™ systems can be installed on the exterior of piping, tanks and vessels and effectively clean the interior of these components without the need to open or enter the components or connected systems. NU-DEC™ systems are easy to install and cost-effective compared to equipment repair/replacement or chemical decontamination, particularly when contamination is localized or recurrent. NU-DEC™ systems have been successfully used in a wide range of applications at nuclear facilities, including decontamination of piping to reduce radiation exposure at operating nuclear plants and prior to decommissioning / dismantling of nuclear facilities and systems. For each application, DEI provides supporting engineering analysis to optimize cleaning parameters for safe and effective cleaning.

Cavity Decontamination and Transfer System (D-CAT™)

Cavity decontamination at nuclear facilities is often a labor intensive process involving manual fluid transfers and generation of significant volumes of dry active waste (DAW). DEI’s D-CAT™ system completely automates the air/liquid separation and transfer process so that contaminated heels can be quickly and efficiently managed, reducing time, radiation exposure and DAW generated during cavity decontamination activities. Liquid mixtures containing contaminated particles are typically sent to an AMFM-B500 or AMFM-P500 system for filtration, but may be transfer to another location if desired. The central transfer tank in the D-CAT™ system is electropolished and crud trap-free for easy wash down and decontamination after use. The system is pneumatically-operated, eliminating the risk of electrical shock when working in standing water.

Undervessel Sump Cleaning

During refueling outages at BWRs, workers spend a significant amount of time performing maintenance activities under the reactor vessel. A major source of collective radiation exposure to workers during these activities is activated sediment and debris that has accumulated in the undervessel sump. DEI offers unique equipment and services for efficient cleaning of the undervessel sump and similar locations such as the torus and suppression pool, including DARVA™ and skid-mounted AMFM™ filtration systems. This system was successfully deployed for cleaning the undervessel sump at LaSalle Station in February 2019 and reduced projected worker exposure during undervessel maintenance activities by 40% (15 Rem savings realized). LaSalle was awarded 1st place at Exelon’s 2019 Innovation Expo for this project.

Telepath™ Automated Radiation Mapping System

Radiation surveys at nuclear power plants are created using labor-intensive data collection processes, and these surveys are taken at discrete points in time such that they become obsolete as radiological conditions change. Telepath™ is an innovative hardware/software platform that utilizes the plant’s existing teledosimetry system, along with location tracking devices worn by individual workers to passively “crowdsource” radiation maps as plant staff perform their normal work activities. This dramatically reduces the radiation protection resources required and ensures that high fidelity, up-to-date radiation maps are available to radworkers in real time and in an intuitive format that improves radworker practices. Telepath™ integrates seamlessly with the plant’s existing teledosimetry system and login practices used when workers enter a radiologically-controlled area.