Gravity-based, non-invasive reactor system and method for coolant inventory monitoring

Title: Gravity-based, non-invasive reactor system and method for coolant inventory monitoring

Abstract

A gravity-based, non-invasive method of measuring a level of fluid in a container comprises use of at least one gravity meter located as proximate a center of mass of the fluid as possible. In a nuclear reactor system a method for monitoring the level of fluid in a nuclear reactor module, a report of a loss or gain of fluid within a cylindrical module may be generated from capturing a time series of gravity data from a first gravity meter mounted as an upper gravity meter and a second gravity meter mounted as a lower gravity meter, for example, proximate a cylindrical nuclear reactor module so as not to require any invasive conduit through, for example, a containment pressure vessel (CPV) or a reactor pressure vessel (RPV). In one embodiment, the upper and lower gravity meters are mounted on stable mounts as close to the fluid in the module as possible within a coolant pool or a structure containing cooled air. If a coolant pool of water surrounds a nuclear reactor module, the meters may be housed within a dry housing in the coolant pool such that the meters may be accessed from above the coolant pool and are locatedmore »« less

Inventors:: Bloom, Scott Harris; Prelewicz, Daniel Adam; Ridgway, Jeffrey Richard

Issue Date:: 2019-10-29

Research Org.:: Information Systems Laboratories, Inc., La Jolla, CA (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:: USDOE Office of Nuclear Energy (NE), Nuclear Energy Enabling Technologies (NEET)

OSTI Identifier:: 1600231

Patent Number(s):: 10460847

Application Number:: 15/407,509

Assignee:: Information Systems Laboratories, Inc. (La Jolla, CA)

Patent Classifications (CPCs):: Y - NEW / CROSS SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES Y02 - TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE Y02E - REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION

G - PHYSICS G01 - MEASURING G01F - MEASURING VOLUME, VOLUME FLOW, MASS FLOW OR LIQUID LEVEL

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Y - NEW / CROSS SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES Y02 - TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE Y02E - REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
Y02E30/30 - Nuclear fission reactors

G - PHYSICS G01 - MEASURING G01F - MEASURING VOLUME, VOLUME FLOW, MASS FLOW OR LIQUID LEVEL
G01F23/00 - Indicating or measuring liquid level, or level of fluent solid material, e.g. indicating in terms of volume, indicating by means of an alarm

G - PHYSICS G21 - NUCLEAR PHYSICS G21C - NUCLEAR REACTORS
G21C17/035 - Moderator- or coolant-level detecting devices {

G - PHYSICS G01 - MEASURING G01F - MEASURING VOLUME, VOLUME FLOW, MASS FLOW OR LIQUID LEVEL
G01F23/22 - by measurement of physical variables, other than linear dimensions, pressure or weight, dependent on the level to be measured, e.g. by difference of heat transfer of steam or water

G - PHYSICS G21 - NUCLEAR PHYSICS G21D - NUCLEAR POWER PLANT
G21D3/001 - {Computer implemented control}

G - PHYSICS G01 - MEASURING G01F - MEASURING VOLUME, VOLUME FLOW, MASS FLOW OR LIQUID LEVEL
G01F23/20 - by measurement of weight, e.g. to determine the level of stored liquefied gas

G - PHYSICS G21 - NUCLEAR PHYSICS G21C - NUCLEAR REACTORS
G21C17/002 - {Detection of leaks

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DOE Contract Number:: SC0013729

Resource Type:: Patent

Resource Relation:: Patent File Date: 01/17/2017

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

Citation Formats


                    Bloom, Scott Harris, Prelewicz, Daniel Adam, and Ridgway, Jeffrey Richard. Gravity-based, non-invasive reactor system and method for coolant inventory monitoring.  United States: N. p., 2019. 
        Web.

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                    Bloom, Scott Harris, Prelewicz, Daniel Adam, & Ridgway, Jeffrey Richard. Gravity-based, non-invasive reactor system and method for coolant inventory monitoring.  United States.

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                    Bloom, Scott Harris, Prelewicz, Daniel Adam, and Ridgway, Jeffrey Richard. Tue .  
        "Gravity-based, non-invasive reactor system and method for coolant inventory monitoring".  United States.  https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1600231.

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@article{osti_1600231,

  title        = {Gravity-based, non-invasive reactor system and method for coolant inventory monitoring},

  author       = {Bloom, Scott Harris and Prelewicz, Daniel Adam and Ridgway, Jeffrey Richard},

  abstractNote = {A gravity-based, non-invasive method of measuring a level of fluid in a container comprises use of at least one gravity meter located as proximate a center of mass of the fluid as possible. In a nuclear reactor system a method for monitoring the level of fluid in a nuclear reactor module, a report of a loss or gain of fluid within a cylindrical module may be generated from capturing a time series of gravity data from a first gravity meter mounted as an upper gravity meter and a second gravity meter mounted as a lower gravity meter, for example, proximate a cylindrical nuclear reactor module so as not to require any invasive conduit through, for example, a containment pressure vessel (CPV) or a reactor pressure vessel (RPV). In one embodiment, the upper and lower gravity meters are mounted on stable mounts as close to the fluid in the module as possible within a coolant pool or a structure containing cooled air. If a coolant pool of water surrounds a nuclear reactor module, the meters may be housed within a dry housing in the coolant pool such that the meters may be accessed from above the coolant pool and are located as close as possible to the reactor module and its contained mass of fluid.},

  doi          = {},

  journal      = {},
number       = ,

  volume       = ,

  place        = {United States},

  year         = {2019},

  month        = {10}

}

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Works referenced in this record:

Shutdown cooling pump vortex detection system
patent, January 1999

Harvey, Robert P.
US Patent Document 5,861,560
URL: http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?patentnumber=5861560

Containment vessel drain system
patent, January 2018

Harris, Scott G.
US Patent Document 9,881,704
URL: http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?patentnumber=9881704

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Title: Gravity-based, non-invasive reactor system and method for coolant inventory monitoring

Abstract

Citation Formats

Shutdown cooling pump vortex detection system patent, January 1999

Containment vessel drain system patent, January 2018

Shutdown cooling pump vortex detection system
patent, January 1999

Containment vessel drain system
patent, January 2018