Hot cell
A hot cell ( English hot cell ) is a heavily shielded room for handling and short-term storage of highly radioactive substances.
The shielding consists mostly of lead blocks that are centimeter thick to shield the high-energy gamma radiation . To prevent the escape of radioactive gases or dusts, hot cells are also gastight. Remote manipulators are mostly used to handle the radionuclides . Gloves protected with lead or tungsten are only used for less radioactive materials. Thick leaded glass windows or camera systems installed inside the hot cell enable the activities within the hot cell to be observed.
Hot cells are used, among other things, in nuclear medicine and in the reprocessing of nuclear fuel.
In Germany, DIN 25407 regulates how hot cells are to be designed.
See also
Web links
- Hot cells at Forschungszentrum Jülich ( Memento from May 5, 2009 in the Internet Archive )
- Hot cell manufacturer website