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U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

2200/sup 0/C thermocouples for nuclear-reactor-fuel centerline-temperature measurements

Conference ·
OSTI ID:5235763

Thermocouples capable of operation at temperatures to 2200/sup 0/C have been fabricated to measure reactor fuel centerline temperatures in Loss-of-Fluid-Tests and Severe Fuel Damage tests conducted for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The technology and commercial suppliers have been developed for three basic thermocouple designs. Rhenium and Mo48%/Re are used as sheath materials and HfO/sub 2/ and BeO are used as insulator materials. Laboratory qualification tests were performed including long term tests of up to 1000 hours at 2200/sup 0/C on the Re/HfO/sub 2/ design. The thermocouples are 1.57 mm 0.D., 76 cm to 104 cm length and contain 0.25 mm O.D. W5%Re/W26%Re thermoelement wires. Thermocouples probes are spliced to stainless steel sheathed, compensating lead cables. Some of the thermocouple designs contain a small diameter ceramic-to-metal gas seal in the transition region between the thermocouples and the compensating lead cable.

Research Organization:
Hanford Engineering Development Lab., Richland, WA (USA)
DOE Contract Number:
AC06-76FF02170
OSTI ID:
5235763
Report Number(s):
HEDL-SA-2639-FP; CONF-820306-10; ON: DE82014186
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English