IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO FAULT DETECTION APPARATUS FOR NUCLEAR REACTORS

Patent · Wed Aug 10 04:00:00 EDT 1960

OSTI ID:4149848

Hartnell-Beavis, M C

ABS>A sensitive fault-detection apparatus of the precipitation chamber type was designed for gas-cooled reactors. It is comprised of a cylindrical two- section chamber, one section being large for the coolant inlet and the other being small and containlng the outlet. A moving wire or tape is maintained at a negative potential to collect positive ions formed by BETA decay of fission products. After the tape traps the ions, it moves into a counter where faults (e.g., failed fuel elements) can be detected. A filter at the inlet stops all but the uncharged gaseous atoms. The advantages of this apparatus over conventional ones are that the volume of the chamber can be kept small, thereby reducing the pressure vessel size, and that the volume of gas near the counter can be kept small without decreasing the sensitivity, thereby keeping the background count to a minimum. (D.L.C.)

• Research Organization: Originating Research Org. not identified
• NSA Number: NSA-14-025030
• OSTI ID: 4149848
• Report Number(s): GB 843973
• Country of Publication: United Kingdom
• Language: English

Related Subjects

CAPTURE
DETECTION
EFFICIENCY
ELECTRIC POTENTIAL
FAILURES
FILTERS
FISSION PRODUCTS
GAS COOLANT
GAS FLOW
GASES
IONS
PATENT
PRECIPITATION
PRESSURE VESSELS
REACTOR TECHNOLOGY
REACTORS
VOLUME
WIRES