Thermoelectric powered wireless sensors for spent fuel monitoring
- Dept. of Engineering Physics, Univ. of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706 (United States)
- Dept. of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Univ. of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706 (United States)
This paper describes using thermoelectric generators to power wireless sensors to monitor spent nuclear fuel during dry-cask storage. OrigenArp was used to determine the decay heat of the spent fuel at different times during the service life of the dry-cask. The Engineering Equation Solver computer program modeled the temperatures inside the spent fuel storage facility during its service life. The temperature distribution in a thermoelectric generator and heat sink was calculated using the computer program Finite Element Heat Transfer. From these temperature distributions the power produced by the thermoelectric generator was determined as a function of the service life of the dry-cask. In addition, an estimation of the path loss experienced by the wireless signal can be made based on materials and thickness of the structure. Once the path loss is known, the transmission power and thermoelectric generator power requirements can be determined. This analysis estimates that a thermoelectric generator can produce enough power for a sensor to function and transmit data from inside the dry-cask throughout its service life. (authors)
- OSTI ID:
- 22039801
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: ANIMMA 2011: 2. International Conference on Advancements in Nuclear Instrumentation, Measurement Methods and their Applications, Ghent (Belgium), 6-9 Jun 2011; Other Information: Country of input: France; 22 refs.; IEEE Catalog Number: CFP1124I-CDR
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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