Highly accurate boronimeter assay of concentrated boric acid solutions

Conference · Wed Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1992 · Transactions of the American Nuclear Society; (United States)

OSTI ID:6983486

Ball, R M ^[1]

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1. Babcock and Wilcox Co., Lynchburg, VA (United States)

The Random-Walk Boronimeter has successfully been used as an on-line indicator of boric acid concentration in an operating commercial pressurized water reactor. The principle has been adapted for measurement of discrete samples to high accuracy and to concentrations up to 6000 ppm natural boron in light water. Boric acid concentration in an aqueous solution is a necessary measurement in many nuclear power plants, particularly those that use boric acid dissolved in the reactor coolant as a reactivity control system. Other nuclear plants use a high-concentration boric acid solution as a backup shutdown system. Such a shutdown system depends on rapid injection of the solution and frequent surveillance of the fluid to ensure the presence of the neutron absorber. The two methods typically used to measure boric acid are the chemical and the physical methods. The chemical method uses titration to determine the ionic concentration of the BO[sub 3] ions and infers the boron concentration. The physical method uses the attenuation of neutrons by the solution and infers the boron concentration from the neutron absorption properties. This paper describes the Random-Walk Boronimeter configured to measure discrete samples to high accuracy and high concentration.

• OSTI ID: 6983486
• Report Number(s): CONF-921102--
• Conference Information: Journal Name: Transactions of the American Nuclear Society; (United States) Journal Volume: 66
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
210200* -- Power Reactors
Nonbreeding
Light-Water Moderated
Nonboiling Water Cooled
BORIC ACID
BORON COMPOUNDS
CONTROL
ENGINEERED SAFETY SYSTEMS
ENRICHED URANIUM REACTORS
FLUID POISON CONTROL
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INORGANIC ACIDS
MATERIALS
MEASURING METHODS
NUCLEAR POISONS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
POWER REACTORS
PWR TYPE REACTORS
REACTOR MATERIALS
REACTORS
THERMAL REACTORS
WATER COOLED REACTORS
WATER MODERATED REACTORS