Non-invasive in-situ imaging of interior of nuclear reactors
Abstract
Techniques, systems, and devices are disclosed for non-invasive monitoring and imaging of nuclear fuel inside a nuclear reactor using muon detector arrays. In one aspect, these detector arrays are placed outside the reactor vessel or building for investigating the reactors without access to the cores, therefore the imaging process is non-invasive. In some implementation, these detector arrays measure both muon scattering and absorption to enable imaging and characterizing not only the very high-Z fuel materials, but also other materials in the reactor, thereby obtaining a more complete picture of reactor status. When applied to damaged reactors, the disclosed proposed techniques, systems, and devices, through the process of providing an image, can reveal the presence (or absence) of damage to fuel rod assemblies or puddles of molten fuel at the bottom of the containment vessel, thus providing crucial information to guide decisions about remedial actions.
- Inventors:
- Issue Date:
- Research Org.:
- Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1650746
- Patent Number(s):
- 10614922
- Application Number:
- 14/676,636
- Assignee:
- Decision Sciences International Corporation (Poway, CA)
- Patent Classifications (CPCs):
-
G - PHYSICS G01 - MEASURING G01F - MEASURING VOLUME, VOLUME FLOW, MASS FLOW OR LIQUID LEVEL
G - PHYSICS G01 - MEASURING G01N - INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC52-06NA25396
- Resource Type:
- Patent
- Resource Relation:
- Patent File Date: 04/01/2015
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS; 46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Citation Formats
Milner, Edward Casteel, Borozdin, Konstantin N., Morris, Christopher L., Miyadera, Haruo, and Perry, John Oliver. Non-invasive in-situ imaging of interior of nuclear reactors. United States: N. p., 2020.
Web.
Milner, Edward Casteel, Borozdin, Konstantin N., Morris, Christopher L., Miyadera, Haruo, & Perry, John Oliver. Non-invasive in-situ imaging of interior of nuclear reactors. United States.
Milner, Edward Casteel, Borozdin, Konstantin N., Morris, Christopher L., Miyadera, Haruo, and Perry, John Oliver. Tue .
"Non-invasive in-situ imaging of interior of nuclear reactors". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1650746.
@article{osti_1650746,
title = {Non-invasive in-situ imaging of interior of nuclear reactors},
author = {Milner, Edward Casteel and Borozdin, Konstantin N. and Morris, Christopher L. and Miyadera, Haruo and Perry, John Oliver},
abstractNote = {Techniques, systems, and devices are disclosed for non-invasive monitoring and imaging of nuclear fuel inside a nuclear reactor using muon detector arrays. In one aspect, these detector arrays are placed outside the reactor vessel or building for investigating the reactors without access to the cores, therefore the imaging process is non-invasive. In some implementation, these detector arrays measure both muon scattering and absorption to enable imaging and characterizing not only the very high-Z fuel materials, but also other materials in the reactor, thereby obtaining a more complete picture of reactor status. When applied to damaged reactors, the disclosed proposed techniques, systems, and devices, through the process of providing an image, can reveal the presence (or absence) of damage to fuel rod assemblies or puddles of molten fuel at the bottom of the containment vessel, thus providing crucial information to guide decisions about remedial actions.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {2020},
month = {4}
}
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