skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: System and method for determining coolant level and flow velocity in a nuclear reactor

Patent ·
OSTI ID:1093234
; ; ; ; ; ;

A boiling water reactor includes a reactor pressure vessel having a feedwater inlet for the introduction of recycled steam condensate and/or makeup coolant into the vessel, and a steam outlet for the discharge of produced steam for appropriate work. A fuel core is located within a lower area of the pressure vessel. The fuel core is surrounded by a core shroud spaced inward from the wall of the pressure vessel to provide an annular downcomer forming a coolant flow path between the vessel wall and the core shroud. A probe system that includes a combination of conductivity/resistivity probes and/or one or more time-domain reflectometer (TDR) probes is at least partially located within the downcomer. The probe system measures the coolant level and flow velocity within the downcomer.

Research Organization:
GE Global Research, Niskayuna, New York (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
DOE Contract Number:
FC07-05ID14636; FC07-05ID14635
Assignee:
General Electric Company (Niskayuna, NY)
Patent Number(s):
8,532,244
Application Number:
11/762,986
OSTI ID:
1093234
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

References (28)

Distributed RTD patent December 1990
Distributed RTD patent May 1992
Method and system for fine control of thermal power of a boiling water reactor with natural circulation patent June 1994
Heated junction thermocouple cable arrangement patent April 2001
BWR turbopump recirculation system patent December 1991
Method & apparatus for liquid level conductance probe control unit with increased sensitivity patent June 1993
Method of making average mass flow velocity measurements patent October 1994
Differential temperature sensors patent August 1989
Pressure compensated thermal flow meter patent June 1999
Fluid measuring system patent February 1983
Fluid level sensing systems patent October 1996
Instrument for monitoring the cooling conditions in a light water reactor patent October 1990
Level detector patent April 1997
Methods and apparatus for time domain reflectometry determination of relative proportion, fluid inventory and turbulence patent November 1988
Liquid Level Sensor patent October 1966
Method of sensing fluid flow and level employing a heated extended resistance temperature sensor patent April 1993
Thermal dispersion mass flow rate and liquid level switch/transmitter patent September 2003
Thermal dispersion mass flow rate and liquid level switch/transmitter patent March 2001
Heated junction thermocouple level measurement apparatus patent April 1984
Heated extended resistance temperature sensor patent June 1993
Method of monitoring the level of a liquid in a container patent August 1998
Fluid level sensing systems patent September 1996
Method of measuring physical phenomena using a distributed RTD patent December 1992
Method of making a U-shaped heated extended resistance temperature sensor patent August 1992
Shaft-Mounted Time Domain Reflectometry Probe for Water Content and Electrical Conductivity Measurements journal November 2002
Apparatus for and method of determining the liquid coolant level in a nuclear reactor patent June 1986
In-vessel water level monitor for boiling water reactors patent May 1993
Method of making a heated extended resistance temperature sensor patent October 1992

Similar Records

Steam-water separating system for boiling water nuclear reactors
Patent · Tue Dec 24 00:00:00 EST 1991 · OSTI ID:1093234
ACHILLES: Heat Transfer in PWR Core During LOCA Reflood Phase
Software · Fri Nov 01 00:00:00 EDT 2013 · OSTI ID:1093234
BWR turbopump recirculation system
Patent · Tue Dec 17 00:00:00 EST 1991 · OSTI ID:1093234

Related Subjects

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS