On-line monitoring and analysis of reactor vessel integrity

Patent · Tue Jan 31 00:00:00 EST 1989

OSTI ID:6202089

Ackerson, D S; Impink, Jr, A J; Balkey, K R; Andreychek, T S

A method is described for on-line monitoring and analysis of nuclear reactor pressure vessel integrity in a unit in which reactor coolant is circulated along the inner wall of the pressure vessel, the method comprising the steps of: generating on an on-line basis, temperature signals representative of the temperature of the reactor coolant circulating along the inner wall of the pressure vessel; generating on an on-line basis, a pressure signal representative of the reactor coolant pressure; generating a signal representative of fast neutron fluence to which the reactor pressure vessel has been subjected; generating as a function of the fluence signal a visual representation of the actual real time reference nil-ductibility transition temperature (RT/sub ndt/) across the entire pressure vessel wall thickness at a preselected critical location in the wall; generating as a function of transients in the reactor coolant temperature and pressur signals, a visual representation of the real time required RT/sub ndt/, across the entire pressure vessel wall thickness at the selected critical location, the required RT/sub ndt/ being the RT/sub ndt/ that would be required in the pressure vessel wall for flaw initiation to occur as a result of stresses set-up by the transients; and superimposing the visual representations of the real-time actual and required RT/sub ndt's/ for flaw initiation across the entire pressure vessel wall thickness for the selected critical location to generate a visual representation of the difference in value between the actual and required RT/sub ndt/ presented as an RT/sub ndt/ margin.

• Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp., Pittsburgh, PA
• Patent Number(s): US 4801421
• OSTI ID: 6202089
• Resource Relation: Patent File Date: Filed date 16 Mar 1987
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS
99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS//MATHEMATICS, COMPUTING, AND INFORMATION SCIENCE
REACTOR MONITORING SYSTEMS
ON-LINE SYSTEMS
REACTOR VESSELS
COMPUTER GRAPHICS
COOLANTS
LIQUID FLOW
PRESSURE MEASUREMENT
PRESSURE VESSELS
REACTOR COOLING SYSTEMS
REACTOR SAFETY
REAL TIME SYSTEMS
TEMPERATURE MEASUREMENT
TRANSITION TEMPERATURE
CONTAINERS
COOLING SYSTEMS
ENERGY SYSTEMS
FLUID FLOW
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
REACTOR COMPONENTS
SAFETY
THERMODYNAMIC PROPERTIES
220900* - Nuclear Reactor Technology- Reactor Safety
220200 - Nuclear Reactor Technology- Components & Accessories
990220 - Computers
Computerized Models
& Computer Programs- (1987-1989)