The Nuclear Ship Savannah / First Atomic Merchant Ship, One of the World's Safest Ships

by United States. Department of Commerce; United States. Maritime Administration; U.S. Atomic Energy Commission

GAS FILTERED, MONITORED

The region between the containment vessel and the secondary shielding is ventilated with a 4,000 cfm fan which discharges about half way up the radio mast. This gas is not expected to be radioactive but as an added precaution it is monitored to determine if radioactivity is present.

All gases released through the radio mast are filtered to remove particulate matter.

The containment shell air is purged with fresh air periodically at sea and prior to entry by the ship’s engineering crew. During normal operation the only radioactive gas in the shell is argon-41, at a concentration less than the maximum permissible level for continuous occupational exposure. The only potential sources of activity in the containment air above tolerance levels would be fission products and these are not present during normal operation. However, as previously described, prior to purging, air samples will be analyzed to ascertain the activity levels.