Full-scale hot cell test of an acoustic sensor dedicated to measurement of the internal gas pressure and composition of a LWR nuclear fuel rod
- CNRS - Univ. Montpellier 2, Southern Electronic Inst., UMR 5214, F-34095 Montpellier (France)
- EDF, R and D, F-77250 Moret sur Loing (France)
- EDF, SEPTEN, F-69628 Villeurbanne (France)
- CEA - Nuclear Energy Direction DEN - Fuel Studies Dept. - Cadarache, F-13108 Saint-Paul-Lez-Durance (France)
A full-scale hot cell test of the internal gas pressure and composition measurement by an acoustic sensor was carried on successfully between 2008 and 2010 on irradiated fuel rods in the LECA-STAR facility at Cadarache Centre. The acoustic sensor has been specially designed in order to provide a nondestructive technique to easily carry out the measurement of the internal gas pressure and gas composition of a LWR nuclear fuel rod. This sensor has been achieved in 2007 and is now covered by an international patent. The first positive result, concerning the device behaviour, is that the sensor-operating characteristics have not been altered by a two-year exposure in the hot cell ambient. We performed the gas characterisation contained in irradiated fuel rods. The acoustic method accuracy is now {+-}5 bars on the pressure measurement result and {+-}0.3% on the evaluated gas composition. The results of the acoustic method were compared to puncture results. Another significant conclusion is that the efficiency of the acoustic method is not altered by the irradiation time, and possible modification of the cladding properties. These results make it possible to demonstrate the feasibility of the technique on irradiated fuel rods. The transducer and the associated methodology are now operational. (authors)
- OSTI ID:
- 22039815
- 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; 12 refs.; IEEE Catalog Number: CFP1124I-CDR
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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