Entries |
Document | Title | Date |
20090252271 | AXIAL VOID FRACTION DISTRIBUTION MEASUREMENT METHOD AND NEUTRON MULTIPLICATION FACTOR EVALUATING METHOD - A first intensity A | 10-08-2009 |
20090316851 | PASSAGE SELECTOR OF REACTOR IN-CORE NUCLEAR-MEASURING APPARATUS - An object of the invention is to embody a small and inexpensive passage selector, which can be applied by commonly using an index device even if the number of detector passages is changed, and which is easy to make inspection and maintenance. The passage selector of a reactor in-core nuclear-measuring apparatus of the invention includes: a drive motor; an index device that is driven by the drive motor and that makes a rotary output of a predetermined index number; a central rotating shaft that is driven to rotate by the index device and that causes a passage selecting guide tube to be located in opposition to any detector passage; and a speed-increasing and decreasing device that is interposed between an output shaft of the index device and the central rotating shaft, and that adjusts the index number of the central rotating shaft. | 12-24-2009 |
20100104059 | RENORMALIZATION METHOD OF EXCORE DETECTOR - Disclosed is a calibration method of an excore detector used in core power monitoring of a nuclear power plant, in which a spatial weighting function (SWF), used to theoretically predict a signal of the excore detector is multiplied by a designated calibration factor to reflect characteristics of the excore detector in a calibration process. It is assumed that the SWF is the multiplication of a one-dimensional shape annealing function (SAF) and a two-dimensional SWF, and the SAF is multiplied by the calibration factor. Since the SAF is calculated in a normalized form, the multiplication of the SAF by the calibration factor to reflect characteristics of the excore detector corresponds to new normalization and thus the calibration of the SAF is referred to as renormalization The signal of the excore detector is considerably accurately predicted by multiplying the theoretically calculated SAF by the renormalization factor, and the multiplication is equally applied although the characteristics of the excore detector are highly changed. An increase in the accuracy of the excore detector in the nuclear power plant prevents unnecessary reactor trips and allows a reactor to be operated at a stable power, thus obtaining the safety of a core and raising economical efficiency. | 04-29-2010 |
20100150294 | UPPER INTERNALS ARRANGEMENT FOR A PRESSURIZED WATER REACTOR - A telescoping guide for extraction and reinsertion support handling of in-core instrument thimble assemblies in the area above the upper support plate in the upper internals of a pressurized water reactor. The telescoping guides extend between the upper ends of the upper internals support columns and an axially movable instrumentation grid assembly which is operable to simultaneously raise the telescoping guides and extract the in-core instrument thimble assemblies from the reactor fuel assemblies. | 06-17-2010 |
20100202581 | VIBRATION EVALUATION APPARATUS AND VIBRATION EVALUATION METHOD - The present invention includes: a plurality of sensors (strain gauge, accelerometer, ultrasonic sensor) that measure data on vibration at a plurality of measurement points on a jet pump; a vibration analysis unit that performs vibration analysis using a numerical structure analysis model of the jet pump, and calculates a vibration state of the jet pump; and an evaluation unit that estimates and evaluates a vibration state in each position on the jet pump using the numerical structure analysis model when an analysis result in a position corresponding to the measurement point by the vibration analysis of the vibration analysis unit matches the data measured by the sensors. | 08-12-2010 |
20100226468 | METHOD FOR DETERMINING AN UNCERTAINTY COMPONENT RELATING TO POWER DISTRIBUTION IN A NUCLEAR REACTOR CORE - The invention relates to a method for obtaining ( | 09-09-2010 |
20100254503 | APPARATUS AND SYSTEMS FOR MEASURING ELONGATION OF OBJECTS, METHODS OF MEASURING, AND REACTOR - Elongation measurement apparatuses and systems comprise at least two Linear Variable Differential Transformers (LVDTs) with a push rod coupled to each of the at least two LVDTs at one longitudinal end thereof. At least one push rod extends to a base and is coupled thereto at an opposing longitudinal end, and at least one other push rod extends to a location spaced apart from the base and is configured to receive a sample between an opposing longitudinal end of the at least one other push rod and the base. Nuclear reactors comprising such apparatuses and systems and methods of measuring elongation of a material are also disclosed. | 10-07-2010 |
20100260300 | Method of Determining the Value of a Parameter Representative of the Operability of a Nuclear Reactor, Determining System, Computer Program and Corresponding Medium - A method involving periodic implementation, during the same operating cycle of the reactor, the method including following steps of: a) calculating, from measurements provided by sensors present in the reactor, the three-dimensional distribution of the local power in the core, b) simulating at least one accidental transient occurrence of power applied to the calculated three-dimensional distribution of local power, c) identifying, using thermomechanical calculations, at least one rod which is the most likely to be subject to a fracture of the cladding thereof during the simulated transient occurrence of power, and d) determining, using thermomechanical calculations on the rod identified, the value of the parameter which is representative of the operability of the reactor. | 10-14-2010 |
20100303189 | DEVICE FOR INSPECTING A FUEL ROD ASSEMBLY IN THE POOL OF A NUCLEAR PLANT AND CORRESPONDING INSPECTION METHOD - The invention relates to a device for inspecting a fuel assembly in the pool of a nuclear plant, that comprises an image sensor with an observation field, and further comprising a boom with at least one removable fastener to the assembly, a reference graduation extending along an axis parallel to a longitudinal axis of the assembly, so that the image sensor can monitor within its field both the boom and the assembly. The device is designed so that the boom can be removably attached to the fuel assembly when the latter is suspended outside the pool by the hook of the machine for handling the fuel assemblies. The invention also relates to a corresponding method. | 12-02-2010 |
20110019790 | ADVANCED FUEL CRUD SAMPLING TOOL METHOD - A method to perform an analysis of two types of CRUD on a nuclear fuel rod, including providing a nuclear fuel rod with a first and second layer of CRUD on an exterior of the fuel rod; brushing the first layer of CRUD from the fuel rod with a CRUD tool on a selected area; wherein the tool has a brushing device, a force applied to the brushing device on the fuel rod to remove the first layer of CRUD, the force being sufficient enough to perform such removal; collecting the first layer of CRUD from the brushing device, scraping the second layer of CRUD from the fuel rod in the selected area with the tool, wherein the tool has a scraping device and a second force is applied to the tool for scraping, collecting the second layer of CRUD from the scraping device, and analyzing the first layer and second layer of CRUD separately with a scanning electron microscope. | 01-27-2011 |
20110069801 | Nuclear Reactor Operation and Simulation - Illustrative embodiments provide for the operation and simulation of the operation of fission reactors. Illustrative embodiments and aspects include, without limitation, nuclear fission reactors and reactor modules, including modular nuclear fission reactors and reactor modules, nuclear fission deflagration wave reactors and reactor modules, modular nuclear fission deflagration wave reactors and modules, methods of operating nuclear reactors and modules including the aforementioned, methods of simulating operating nuclear reactors and modules including the aforementioned, and the like. | 03-24-2011 |
20110085633 | WIRELESS TRANSMISSION OF NUCLEAR INSTRUMENTATION SIGNALS - A method of monitoring a condition of a nuclear reactor pressure vessel disposed in a radioactive environment is provided. The method includes the steps of sensing a condition of the reactor pressure vessel with an instrument, transmitting a signal indicative of the condition of the reactor pressure vessel from the instrument to a powered wireless transmitting modem disposed in the radioactive environment, wirelessly transmitting a signal indicative of the condition of the reactor pressure vessel from the transmitting modem to a receiving modem in the line of sight of the transmitting modem, transmitting a signal indicative of the condition of the reactor pressure vessel from the receiving modem to a signal processing unit, and determining the condition of the reactor pressure vessel from the wirelessly transmitted signal. | 04-14-2011 |
20110299647 | Instrument for nuclear power facility - In a nuclear installation, an instrument includes a sensor module connected to a process flange. The sensor module includes a support conduit with support conduit threads. An electronic circuit is wired to a connector that includes a key that is aligned with field circuit contacts of the connector. A thermal and nuclear radiation shield encloses the electronic circuit and includes a shock protection annulus. The connector is secured inside the shock protection annulus. The thermal and nuclear radiation shield includes shield threads that rotatably engage the support conduit threads to rotate an alignment of the key relative to the process flange. | 12-08-2011 |
20120033777 | JET PUMP INSPECTION APPARATUS - Example embodiments are directed to jet pump inspection apparatuses including an encoded probe driver coupled to a guide funnel. In an example embodiment, the encoded probe driver and the guide funnel are located on the body of the apparatus in order to decrease the time required for inspection, thereby limiting exposure to personnel of radioactive contamination. | 02-09-2012 |
20120033778 | AXIAL POWER DISTRIBUTION PREDICTION METHOD AND AXIAL POWER DISTRIBUTION PREDICTION DEVICE - An axial power distribution control device includes an axial offset calculation unit 52, a parameter calculation unit 53, and an axial offset determining unit 55. The axial offset determining unit 55 predicts whether a core axial offset of the power distribution is increased or decreased after a current time, based on a major axis of an ellipse drawn by the xenon parameter and the iodine parameter calculated by the parameter calculation unit 53 and the xenon parameter and the iodine parameter at the current time. This makes it possible to predict a change of the axial offset of the power distribution of a reactor for suppressing a xenon oscillation in the reactor. | 02-09-2012 |
20120063559 | CLAMPING JIG AND SYSTEM FOR MEASURING SPACER GRIDS FOR NUCLEAR FUEL ASSEMBLY - In a clamping jig and system for inspecting spacer grids for a nuclear fuel assembly, the jig firmly and precisely clamps a variety of grids on a measurement stage moving at high speed so that, among constituent parts of the nuclear fuel assembly, the spacer grids can be inspected using a non-contact measurer. The clamping jig includes a frame having a plurality of holding recesses into which the corresponding spacer grids are inserted, supporting means mounted in each holding recess of the frame to allow each spacer grid to be adjusted from below so it can be maintained in a horizontal state, clamping means installed around each holding recess to clamp two adjacent sides of each spacer grid to a corner of the respective holding recess, and resilient means installed on the sides opposite the clamping means and resiliently supporting the other two sides of each spacer grid. | 03-15-2012 |
20120082283 | Method of using micro-nano-hetro structures to make radiation detection systems and devices with applications - Method and devices for development of nuclear particle detectors, meant to operate in wide temperature range, with and without cooling that can be integrated in various arrays, able to identify radiation type and provide information on it's parameters as position, mass, energy, direction. The device will operate by enhancing the radiation detection by using materials that generates fission, transmutation and/or directly converting the energy of radiation into photonic or pressure waves, or into electricity, device acting on a plurality of conductor insulator junction making it able to identify radiation type, spectrum, direction and position usable for a large range of electronics from detectors to complex imagers. | 04-05-2012 |
20120082284 | System and method for determining a state of operational readiness of a fuel cell backup system of a nuclear reactor system - A method for determining a state of operational readiness of a fuel cell backup system of a nuclear reactor system includes monitoring a readiness state of a fuel cell system associated with a nuclear reactor system, and providing a readiness determination of the fuel cell system by comparing the monitored state of readiness of the fuel cell system to an established operating readiness state, the established operating readiness state a function of at least one characteristic of the nuclear reactor system. An apparatus includes a fuel cell monitoring system configured to monitor a readiness state of a fuel cell system associated with a nuclear reactor system, and a readiness determination system configured to provide a readiness determination of the fuel cell system by comparing the monitored state of readiness of the fuel cell system to an established operating readiness state. | 04-05-2012 |
20120128111 | NUCLEAR POWER PLANT, METHOD OF FORMING CORROSION-RESISTANT COATING THEREFOR, AND METHOD OF OPERATING NUCLEAR POWER PLAN - In a nuclear power plant, a corrosion-resistant oxide film on a surface of the metal component of a reactor structure is exposed to a high-temperature water, the corrosion-resistant oxide film containing an oxide having a property of a P-type semiconductor, and a catalytic substance having a property of an N-type semiconductor is deposited on the oxide film. The oxide film maintains the property of the P-type semiconductor. | 05-24-2012 |
20120148009 | IN-BUNDLE FORCE MEASUREMENT DEVICE AND/OR METHOD OF MEASURING FORCE APPLIED BY SPACERS IN AN ASSEMBLED FUEL BUNDLE - In one embodiment, the in-bundle force measurement device includes an elongated main body, and a sensing structure disposed at a distal end of the main body. The sensing structure is configured to output a measurement indicative of force applied to the sensing structure. | 06-14-2012 |
20120155595 | CHEMISTRY PROBE ASSEMBLIES AND METHODS OF USING THE SAME IN NUCLEAR REACTORS - Electrochemical corrosion potential (ECP) probe assemblies may be used to monitor ECP of materials due to coolant chemistry in an operating nuclear reactor. Example embodiment assemblies include at least one ECP probe that detects ECP of potentially several different materials, a structural body providing a fluid flow path for the coolant over the ECP probes, and a signal transmitter that transmits or carries ECP data to an external receiver. The ECP probes may be of any number and/or type, so as to detect ECP for different component materials, including stainless steel, a zirconium alloys, etc. The ECP probes may further detect ECP due to ion concentration, pH, etc. The ECP data may be transmitted through wired or wireless signal transmitters. Example methods include installing and using example embodiment ECP probe assemblies in nuclear reactors and facilities. | 06-21-2012 |
20120189088 | METHOD FOR DETERMINING THE ISOTOPE RATIO OF FISSILE MATERIAL - A method for determining isotope ratio of fissile material having a main isotope and at least one impurity isotope, including: measurement of net areas, at respective energies, of gamma peaks of the fissile material; measurement of the reference total absorption efficiencies at the energies; calculation of the total efficiency transfers of the fissile material; and calculation of the isotope ratio of fissile material. | 07-26-2012 |
20120213320 | DEVICE FOR ASSISTING IN THE UNDERWATER EXTRACTION OR INSERTION OF AN ELONGATE ELEMENT DISPOSED IN A PIPE, AND METHOD FOR ASSISTING IN THE EXTRACTION OR INSERTION OF ONE SUCH ELEMENT - A device for assisting in the underwater extraction or insertion of an elongate element disposed in a pipe is provided. The device includes a clamping and vibration-generating assembly including a sealed housing bearing a gripper and including a member for tightening the gripper on the pipe, an adjustable vibrator for vibrating the housing and the gripper, and a member for measuring the vibration produced by the vibrator on the pipe in order to determine the optimum vibration The device also includes a controller for remotely controlling the gripper and the vibrator. A method for assisting in the extraction or insertion of an elongate element is also provided. | 08-23-2012 |
20120263267 | ELECTROCHEMICAL CORROSION POTENTIAL DEVICE AND METHOD - The invention provides at least two electrochemical sensors positioned in a nuclear reactor or in a system adjacent to the nuclear reactor, wherein at least one of the at least two electrochemical sensors has a heated zirconium electrode, and the at least two electrochemical sensors produce voltages proportional to an electrochemical corrosion potential for a surface that each of the at least two electrochemical sensors are installed upon. The invention also provides an arrangement configured to accept the voltages produced by the at least two electrochemical sensors, wherein the arrangement is configured to determine an electrochemical corrosion potential of a zirconium fuel rod in the nuclear reactor based upon the voltages of the at least two electrochemical sensors. | 10-18-2012 |
20120269310 | DYNAMIC PORT FOR MEASURING REACTOR COOLANT PUMP BEARING OIL LEVEL - A dynamic port that extends from the bottom wall of an oil reservoir that surrounds the lower guide bearing of a reactor coolant pump and is in fluid communication within an oil level gauge. The dynamic port is rotatable into and out of the oil flow path to adjust the dynamic oil level shown by the oil level gauge when the pump is at operating speed to be substantially equal to the static oil level when the motor is at rest. | 10-25-2012 |
20120281800 | Method of Checking Installed State of Jet Pump Beam - A jet pump beam (hereinafter, referred to as a beam) is fitted into a pair of projecting portions installed to a transition piece, and after the beam is arched, a beam bolt engaged with the beam is tightened. An end of the beam bolt comes in contact with a top surface of an insert member fitted into an elbow disposed between the pair of projecting portions. An ultrasonic sensor head is fixed to the beam bolt, and ultrasonic waves are sent to the beam bolt from the ultrasonic sensor in the ultrasonic sensor head. An ultrasonic measuring apparatus obtains echo intensity of each of reflected waves generated at the end of the beam bolt and a bottom surface of the insert member, and based on the echo intensities, an echo intensity ratio R is calculated. The installed state of the beam is checked using the echo intensity ratio R. | 11-08-2012 |
20120321028 | TIP SYSTEM AND TIP MONITORING CONTROL EQUIPMENT - A TIP monitoring control equipment has: a process computer, a TIP control panel, and data transmitting unit. The process computer includes a operation input unit, a TIP scanning unit, a first TIP level data transmitting and receiving unit, and a TIP level data storage unit. To a first TIP level data transmitting and receiving unit, an LPRM level signal, an APRM level signal and TIP level data accumulated in the TIP control panel are input in synchronization with a TIP position signal. The TIP control panel includes a TIP driving control unit, a TIP level processing unit, a TIP position processing unit, a TIP level data accumulation unit and a second TIP level data transmitting and receiving unit. The second TIP level data transmitting and receiving unit transmits TIP level data accumulated in the TIP level data accumulation unit to the process computer via the data transmission unit. | 12-20-2012 |
20130010911 | PROBE AND APPARATUS FOR MEASURING THICKNESS OF OXIDE LAYER OF FUEL ROD - Provided are a probe and an apparatus for measuring a thickness of an oxide layer of a fuel rod, capable of testing claddings of inner and outer fuel rods of a nuclear fuel assembly without disassembling the nuclear fuel assembly. The probe includes a fuel rod transfer region on which an eddy current sensor capable of continuously testing claddings of outer fuel rods of a fixed nuclear fuel assembly is mounted. Further, the apparatus includes a frame in which a cylinder driven in upward and downward directions is mounted, a first probe connected to one side of the cylinder in order to test claddings of outer fuel rods of a nuclear fuel assembly, and a second probe connected to the other side of the cylinder in order to test claddings of inner fuel rods of the nuclear fuel assembly. | 01-10-2013 |
20130044848 | OPERATION MONITORING APPARATUS OF NUCLEAR POWER PLANT - An operation panel ( | 02-21-2013 |
20130058448 | VIBRO-ACOUSTIC SENSORS FOR MATERIALS CHARACTERIZATION AND RELATED METHODS AND SYSTEMS - A method for monitoring components in a nuclear reactor is provided along with related systems and component. In one embodiment, a system is provided that includes a first transducer mechanism disposed within a nuclear reactor, the first transducer being configured to emit a first wireless signal to an identified component of the nuclear reactor. A second transducer mechanism is configured to detect a response signal that is emitted by the identified component in response to the first wireless signal. In one particular embodiment, the first transducer mechanism may include one or more confocal transducers. The confocal transducer may include two or more electrodes configured to emit their respective beams coaxially with focal points that are coincidental. The system may be configured to determine a characteristic of a component being monitored. In one particular embodiment, the component may include a fuel rod. | 03-07-2013 |
20130077726 | METHOD OF ADJUSTING OXYGEN CONCENTRATION OF REACTOR WATER SAMPLES USING DEMINERALIZED WATER - Example embodiments of the present invention relate to a method of adjusting an oxygen concentration of a reactor water side stream in a nuclear plant. The method may include injecting demineralized water into the reactor water side stream to produce an oxygenated stream with an increased oxygen concentration. The oxygenated stream may be tested to determine the effect of a process treatment on the reactor system. | 03-28-2013 |
20130121450 | WATER FILLING SYSTEM FOR REACTOR WATER LEVEL GAUGE - A water filling system for a reactor water level gauge is provided for filling a reactor water level gauge instrumentation pipe in a reactor building with water and filling the reactor water level gauge with water even in an unexpected abnormal event where the reactor building is brought into a highly radioactive environment. The water filling system for a reactor water level gauge includes a water filling instrumentation pipe guided from the reactor water level gauge instrumentation pipe in the reactor building to an outside of the reactor building and filling the reactor water level gauge instrumentation pipe in the reactor building with water even in an unexpected abnormal event of a nuclear power plant. | 05-16-2013 |
20130177121 | METHOD OF DETERMINING AT LEAST ONE TECHNOLOGICAL UNCERTAINTY FACTOR FOR NUCLEAR FUEL ELEMENTS, AND CORRESPONDING METHODS OF DESIGNING, FABRICATING, AND INSPECTING NUCLEAR FUEL ELEMENTS - The invention relates to a method of determining at least one technological uncertainty factor in respect of nuclear fuel elements ( | 07-11-2013 |
20130182810 | TRAVELING REACTOR POWER MONITORING SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DRIVING A TRAVELING PROBE - A traveling reactor power monitoring system includes a probe cable, a traveling prove connected to the probe cable, a storage reel storaging the probe cable, a motor feeding and spooling the probe cable, a drive control unit driving the motor at a scheduled drive speed, a torque sensor measuring a drive torque for moving the traveling probe and the probe cable, an aimed torque DB storing a first threshold and a second threshold, a drive information DB storing the drive torque and the drive speed that the drive control unit moved the traveling probe and a scheduled drive speed processor calculating the scheduled drive speed that is set faster than previous drive speed when the previous drive torque is smaller than the second threshold, and is set slower than previous drive speed when the previous drive torque is larger than the first threshold. | 07-18-2013 |
20130272467 | INCORE INSTRUMENTATION CABLE ROUTING AND SUPPORT ELEMENT FOR PRESSURIZED WATER REACTOR - A nuclear reactor comprises a pressure vessel, a nuclear reactor core comprising fissile material disposed in the pressure vessel, and a core basket disposed in the pressure vessel and containing the nuclear reactor core. An incore instrument is disposed in a guide tube of the nuclear reactor core. The incore instrument has a cable extending out of the bottom of the nuclear reactor core and making a 180° turn. A bottom support element is attached to the bottom of the core basket and defines or includes a routing tube that routes the cable of the incore instrument through the 180° turn. In some embodiments, the pressure vessel includes upper and lower vessel portions, the nuclear reactor core and core basket are disposed in the lower vessel portion, and the vessel penetration is through the lower vessel portion or through a mid-flange connecting the upper and lower vessel portions. | 10-17-2013 |
20130294564 | METHOD FOR DETECTING AND/OR MEASURING DEFECTS - The present invention relates to a method of detecting and/or measuring defects in at least one part. The method includes providing a neutron source that produces a neutron flux, arranging the neutron source such that the neutron flux at least partly penetrates said part, providing a detection device for detecting neutrons, providing a hydrogen containing substance on a surface of said part such that the hydrogen containing substance penetrates into defects in said part, arranging the detection device to detect neutrons from the neutron flux that have been reflected by said substance, and detecting and/or measuring at least one possible defect in said part using the detection device to detect defects by detecting said reflected neutrons. | 11-07-2013 |
20140010339 | Apparatus and method for limiting and analyzing stress corrosion cracking in pressurized water reactors - A method to assess and predict pressurized water stress corrosion cracking in operational nuclear power plants and the effect of adding zinc compounds into a reactor coolant system of the nuclear power plant. | 01-09-2014 |
20140321591 | THERMO-ACOUSTIC NUCLEAR POWER DISTRIBUTION MEASUREMENT ASSEMBLY - A nuclear power distribution measurement assembly that is sized to fit within an instrumentation thimble of a nuclear fuel assembly, that employs a spaced tandem arrangement of thermo-acoustic engines, each of which has a heat source side that is insulated from the reactor coolant traversing the nuclear core in which the fuel assembly is to be placed and a cold side housing a resonator chamber with enhanced thermal conductance to the coolant. The resonator chamber of each of the thermo-acoustic engines is of a different length to generate a different frequency whose amplitude is proportional to the neutron activity at the axial and radial position of the thermo-acoustic engine. The frequency identifies the measurement assembly's position. Acoustic telemetry is employed to monitor the acoustic waves generated by the individual thermo-acoustic engines to provide a remote reading of the axial and radial power distribution of a reactor core. | 10-30-2014 |
20140362965 | THERMO-ACOUSTIC NUCLEAR POWER DISTRIBUTION MEASUREMENT ASSEMBLY - A nuclear power distribution measurement assembly that is sized to fit within an instrumentation thimble of a nuclear fuel assembly, that employs a spaced tandem arrangement of thermo-acoustic engines, each of which has a heat source side that is insulated from the reactor coolant traversing the nuclear core in which the fuel assembly is to be placed and a cold side housing a resonator chamber with enhanced thermal conductance to the coolant. The resonator chamber of each of the thermo-acoustic engines is of a different length to generate a different frequency whose amplitude is proportional to the neutron activity at the axial and radial position of the thermo-acoustic engine. The frequency identifies the measurement assembly's position. Acoustic telemetry is employed to monitor the acoustic waves generated by the individual thermo-acoustic engines to provide a remote reading of the axial and radial power distribution of a reactor core. | 12-11-2014 |
20140369455 | Data Driven Step Counter for Rod Control Systems of Nuclear Power Plants - Systems and methods of monitoring step movements of control rods of a nuclear power plant, including measuring output signals of a plurality of rod movement coils during a step movement sequence of one or more control rods, analyzing the output signals to determine a direction of the step movement sequence, and comparing one or more output signals to reference output sequence to verify that a step of the control rod has occurred. | 12-18-2014 |
20150092902 | FISSION METER AND NEUTRON DETECTION USING POISSON DISTRIBUTION COMPARISON - A neutron detector system and method for discriminating fissile material from non-fissile material wherein a digital data acquisition unit collects data at high rate, and in real-time processes large volumes of data directly into information that a first responder can use to discriminate materials. The system comprises counting neutrons from the unknown source and detecting excess grouped neutrons to identify fission in the unknown source. Comparison of the observed neutron count distribution with a Poisson distribution is performed to distinguish fissile material from non-fissile material. | 04-02-2015 |
20150340106 | SYSTEM FOR THE IN-LINE CHARACTERISATION OF CORROSION PRODUCTS - A system for the in-line characterisation of corrosion products in a cooling system of a nuclear reactor, the characterisation system having a tube connected to the cooling system of the reactor in which the coolant circulates, the system including at least two filters in series, the downstream filter having a smaller pore size than the filter located upstream, the filters being suitable for the coolant to pass therethrough; and differential pressure sensors combined with each of the filters making it possible to determine in-line the obstruction rate of each of the filters. | 11-26-2015 |
20150364223 | SYSTEM FOR THE IN-LINE CHARACTERIZATION OF PRODUCTS OF CORROSION - A system for characterizing products of corrosion which are present in a nuclear reactor cooling circuit, the characterization system having a pipe connected to the reactor cooling circuit through which the coolant flows, the system including at least two filters in series, the downstream filter having a smaller pore size than the filter situated upstream, the filters being able to have the cooling fluid passed through; differential-pressure sensors associated with each of the filters make it possible to determine the extent to which each of the filters is obstructed; a temperature-regulating system to regulate the temperature of the liquid flowing through the pipe. | 12-17-2015 |