Industries
Explosion protection in the nuclear industry
Explosion risk is not the first thing that comes to mind about a nuclear facility, and yet hydrogen is present almost everywhere. It appears in the battery rooms, at hydrogen-cooled generators, and from water breaking down under radiation, at the spent fuel pools and at radioactive waste. Hydrogen falls into gas group IIC, the strictest classification of all, and all of it has to be managed within a tightly controlled nuclear safety and access regime. The documentation has to keep the hydrogen zones and the equipment current, and has to fit the plant’s configuration management.
Industry experience
Sound familiar?
Hydrogen is released in the battery rooms, but the zone classification or the ventilation documentation is out of date.
Large quantities of hydrogen are present around the hydrogen-cooled generator, and the zones are not current.
Radiolysis generates hydrogen at the spent fuel pools or the waste tanks, but the classification does not address it.
A modification passes through configuration management, but updating the explosion protection documentation is missed.
Ahead of a regulatory inspection you spend days gathering the zone drawings, the equipment list and the inspection certificates.
If any of this sounds familiar, what you need is not another document but software that lives alongside the modifications and the strict change control.
Hazards
Typical explosion hazards in the nuclear industry
Hydrogen dominates in this industry, from several sources, and almost always in the strictest gas group, IIC:
| Hazard source | Where typical | Typical zone |
|---|---|---|
| Hydrogen: battery rooms (IIC) | uninterruptible power supplies, battery chargers | gas zone (1/2), IIC |
| Hydrogen: generator cooling (IIC) | turbine hall, hydrogen-cooled generator, storage | gas zone (1/2), IIC |
| Hydrogen from radiolysis (IIC) | spent fuel pools, waste tanks, waste treatment | gas zone (1/2), IIC |
| Diesel fuel | safety diesel generators, fuel storage | limited gas zone, high flash point |
| Electrostatic charging and hot surfaces | maintenance, hydrogen handling | an ignition source in every zone |
Hydrogen dominates in this industry, and because it falls into gas group IIC it calls for the most robust Ex compliance: it passes through the smallest gaps and ignites at very low energy. The zones also sit within radiologically controlled areas, so access is restricted, maintenance is planned, and every modification goes through a strict process. The explosion protection documentation has to stay consistent with all of that.
When we help
Typical situations when it’s worth talking
Hydrogen and the nuclear environment
Two things make explosion protection at a nuclear facility distinctive: the dominance of hydrogen, and the nuclear safety regime within which the protection has to work.
Hydrogen is the main hazard. From the battery rooms through generator cooling to radiolysis - hydrogen appears throughout; it is the most strictly regulated gas group and demands the most robust Ex compliance.
The zones sit in radiologically controlled areas. Access is restricted and maintenance is planned; the classification and the inspection plan have to take that into account.
Configuration management is strict. Every modification goes through a formal process; explosion protection documentation has to become part of it, rather than an afterthought.
Explosion protection lives alongside nuclear safety. The documentation has to stay consistent with the nuclear safety documentation and with the quality assurance requirements.
The solution
How EPDS helps in the nuclear industry
EPDS brings explosion protection documentation into one system, fitted to the strict expectations of the nuclear sector:
Zone and equipment register in one place.
EPDS records the hydrogen zones and every Ex device with its marking, gas group and location, and makes them searchable.
Documentation that is always current and traceable.
You can look back at any time to see who changed what, and when; this fits what nuclear quality assurance expects.
No more overdue inspections.
The system gives notice of inspections as they fall due, and records the ones completed.
An audit-ready report in one click.
EPDS assembles the report of zones, equipment and inspections, per installation too.
Several installations, one piece of software.
It gives a single method across the entire equipment base.
Knowledge hub
Before you decide, get informed.
Our expert knowledge base explains the concepts of explosion protection clearly.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Why is hydrogen the main explosion hazard at nuclear facilities?
Hydrogen is present from several sources: the battery rooms, the hydrogen-cooled generators and radiolysis. Because it falls into gas group IIC it demands the strictest protection, which makes classifying the hydrogen zones precisely a key question.
What is hydrogen from radiolysis?
Water partly breaks down under radiation, generating hydrogen. It can accumulate at the spent fuel pools and at radioactive waste, so the explosion protection classification has to address these areas as well.
Why does it matter that hydrogen is gas group IIC?
IIC is the strictest gas group: hydrogen passes through the smallest gaps and ignites at very low energy. Only the most robust Ex equipment, rated for IIC, may therefore be installed in these zones.
How does explosion protection fit with nuclear safety?
At a nuclear facility every modification goes through strict configuration management. Explosion protection documentation has to be made part of that, and kept consistent with the nuclear safety documentation.
Does a nuclear facility need explosion protection documentation?
Yes. Decree 3/2003. (III. 11.) applies here too, and sector-specific nuclear safety requirements apply to the facility alongside it. The documentation has to be kept current.
Let’s talk it through — free consultation
In a short, free conversation we show you the EPDS system mapped onto your processes, and review where your documentation stands today.