IMPROVEMENTS RELATING TO BURST SLUG DETECTION DEVICES IN NUCLEAR REACTORS

Patent · Mon Oct 23 04:00:00 EDT 1961

OSTI ID:4153350

A device was previously developed in which some radioactive daughters of the gaseous fission products formed inside the nuclear fuel slugs are able to be detected in the gaseous coolant in the case of a burst slug. Samples of gaseous coolant are taken from the different reactor channels by a system of sampling lines leading them to the detection device comprising a drum shaped electrode onto which the radioactive daughters are precipitated; afterwards this drum rotates to bring them in front of a scintillation counter. Improvements were made so that each precipitation zone is brought in front of the counter before the precipitation in order to evaluate the activity of the zone, so that the difference between the two indications of activity of the same zone before and after the precipitation is proportional to the quantity of precipitated ions of the radioactive daughters. To increase this quantity the device comprises a precipitation chamber of increased volume through which the gas flow and in which the decay of the fission products into their daughters takes place. This chamber has a bell-mouthed shape, the smallest section of which is formed by the precipitation zone, while it is bounded at its largest section by a concave repulsion electrode. The remaining walls of the chamber are composed of an electrical insulating material. (IIB)

• Research Organization: Originating Research Org. not identified
• NSA Number: NSA-18-001206
• OSTI ID: 4153350
• Report Number(s): THIRD ADD. NO. 76.765 OF FRENCH 1201566
• Country of Publication: France
• Language: English

Related Subjects

DETECTION
ELECTRODES
ELECTROSTATICS
FAILURES
FISSION PRODUCTS
FUEL ELEMENTS
GAS COOLANT
GASES
OPERATION
PLANNING
REACTOR SAFETY
REACTOR TECHNOLOGY
REACTORS
SAMPLING
SCINTILLATION COUNTERS
VARIATIONS