Failed element detection and location system and method for use in a nuclear reactor

Patent · Tue Jun 01 04:00:00 EDT 1982

OSTI ID:6454766

Crosgrove, R O; Moody, E; Sletten, H L

A failed element detection and location system for use in a nuclear reactor, for example, a liquid metal fast breeder reactor (LMFBR), which utilizes a large number of fuel pins in an active core and which circulates a continuous stream of liquid metal heat exchanging fluid such as liquid sodium past the pins is disclosed herein. This system first collects a combined sample of the fluid just as the latter passes through at least a selected group of containers, each housing a plurality of the fuel pins. This combined sample is detected for the presence or absence of a predetermined contaminant, specifically neutrons, resulting from the failure (Break) in one or more of the fuel pins. In the event that the contaminant is detected in the combined sample, individual samples of fluid are collected, one at a time, as the fluid just passes through the selected group of containers. These individual samples are also detected for the presence or absence of the contaminant, thereby indicating the fuel pin container or containers responsible for the presence of the contaminant.

• Assignee: Electric Power Research Institute
• Patent Number(s): US 4332639
• OSTI ID: 6454766
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
210500* -- Power Reactors
Breeding
ACTINIDE COMPOUNDS
ALKALI METALS
BARYONS
BREEDER REACTORS
CHALCOGENIDES
CONTAMINATION
CONTROL EQUIPMENT
DETECTION
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
ELEMENTS
EPITHERMAL REACTORS
EQUIPMENT
FAILED ELEMENT DETECTION
FAST REACTORS
FBR TYPE REACTORS
FERMIONS
FLOW REGULATORS
FLUID FLOW
FLUIDS
FUEL ASSEMBLIES
FUEL ELEMENTS
FUEL PINS
HADRONS
HEAT EXCHANGERS
HEAT TRANSFER FLUIDS
LIQUID METAL COOLED REACTORS
LIQUID METALS
LIQUIDS
LMFBR TYPE REACTORS
METALS
NEUTRONS
NUCLEONS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PLUTONIUM COMPOUNDS
PLUTONIUM OXIDES
PUMPS
REACTOR COMPONENTS
REACTOR CORES
REACTORS
SAMPLING
SODIUM
TRANSURANIUM COMPOUNDS
VALVES