Class / Patent application number | Description | Number of patent applications / Date published |
376259000 | By particular instrumentation circuitry | 16 |
20090003506 | APPARATUS FOR INSPECTING AND TESTING STARTUP RANGE NEUTRON MONITORING SYSTEM - An apparatus for inspecting and testing a startup range neutron monitoring system for a nuclear reactor. The apparatus includes: a neutron-flux detector; a preamplifier that amplifies an electric signal output from the neutron-flux detector; a pulse measurement unit that counts times when electric signal output from the preamplifier exceeds a discrimination voltage; a discrimination-voltage setting unit that applies the discrimination voltage to the pulse measurement unit; a voltage-setting unit that applies a voltage to the neutron-flux detector; an arithmetic processing unit that calculates an output power of the reactor based upon an output signal of the pulse measurement unit; an output unit that outputs data representing the output power of the reactor, calculated by the arithmetic processing unit; and an inspecting/testing unit that sets the discrimination voltage and the voltage to be applied by the voltage-setting unit. | 01-01-2009 |
20090010375 | Methods of using fuel bundle groups as evaluation constraints - A method of fuel bundle consideration in a reactor. The method includes creating or editing bundle groups including fuel bundles. | 01-08-2009 |
20100008462 | NON-DESTRUCTIVE TEST EVALUATION OF WELDED CLADDINGS ON RODS OF HYDRAULIC CYLINDERS USED FOR SALTWATER, BRACKISH AND FRESHWATER APPLICATIONS - A method of maintaining a rod of a hydraulic cylinder for a motion compensation system of an offshore platform includes non-destructive testing of a metallic cladding deposited onto the rod. An inspection crawler includes a visual inspection device, an eddy current inspection device and an ultrasonic inspection device. The method includes rotating the visual inspection device, the eddy current inspection device and the ultrasonic inspection device around a circumference of the rod while moving the inspection crawler along a longitudinal axis of the rod to simultaneously collect data related to the metallic cladding from the visual inspection device, the eddy current inspection device and the ultrasonic inspection device. The data is analyzed to detect any discontinuities, i.e., defects, in the metallic cladding. | 01-14-2010 |
20100246741 | NUCLEAR-PLANT SAFETY SYSTEM OPERATING DEVICE - There are provided a first display that displays a system diagram of a safety system and makes it possible to select a symbol indicating a safety-system plant equipment included in the system diagram; a second display that displays an operating device for operating the safety-system plant equipment and makes it possible to operate the operating device; and a safety system display control device that outputs the system diagram to be displayed on the first display, outputs on the second display an operating device corresponding to a symbol that is included in the system diagram and is selected by means of the first display, and converts operation of the operating device performed on the second display into a signal that is outputted to the safety-system plant equipment. | 09-30-2010 |
20100254505 | Methods and apparatuses for operating nuclear reactors and for determining power levels in the nuclear reactors - An apparatus may include two or more electrical conductors, one or more signal devices, and an analyzer. The one or more signal devices may be adapted to apply one or more signals to the two or more electrical conductors and receive one or more signals from the two or more electrical conductors. The analyzer may be adapted to determine power level in the nuclear reactor using at least one of the applied signals and at least one of the received signals. A method of determining power level in a nuclear reactor may include: measuring impedance values of two or more electrical conductors disposed in the nuclear reactor and using the measured impedance values to determine the power level. A method of operating a nuclear reactor may include: measuring the impedance values and using the measured impedance values to determine parameters of the nuclear reactor. | 10-07-2010 |
20110150162 | AUTOMATED PERIODIC SURVEILLANCE TESTING METHOD AND APPARATUS IN DIGITAL REACTOR PROTECTION SYSTEM - Provided is an automated periodic surveillance testing method and apparatus in a digital reactor protection system, which unites a passive testing means such as a self-diagnosis or an on-line state comparison with an active testing means such as an automatic logic test and the like in the digital reactor protection system. Accordingly, a device self-diagnosis, an on-line state diagnosis, and an automatic logic test are used as the automated periodic surveillance testing method in the digital reactor protection system. Thus, the time consumed in a periodic surveillance test can be minimized, thereby saving reactor operating costs, and excessive manpower can be avoided, thereby decreasing potential human errors. Also, a channel detour time at which one of multiple channels is detoured can be minimized based on the automated periodic surveillance test in the digital reactor protection system, thereby enhancing stability. | 06-23-2011 |
20120033779 | METHODS OF DETERMINING IN-REACTOR SUSCEPTIBILITY OF A ZIRCONIUM-BASED ALLOY TO SHADOW CORROSION - A method of determining in-reactor susceptibility of a zirconium-based alloy to shadow corrosion according to a non-limiting embodiment of the present invention may include immersing a first electrode and a second electrode in an electrolytic solution. The first electrode may be formed of the zirconium-based alloy, while the second electrode may be formed of a metallic material suitable for use in a nuclear reactor and having a higher electrochemical corrosion potential than the zirconium-based alloy. The method may additionally include irradiating the immersed first and second electrodes with electromagnetic radiation. A galvanic current may then be measured between the first electrode and the second electrode to ascertain the relative in-reactor susceptibility of the zirconium-based alloy to shadow corrosion. The present invention allows a simplified and more rapid method of developing solutions that mitigate shadow corrosion, thereby potentially saving years of expensive in-reactor testing. | 02-09-2012 |
20120121055 | OPERATIONAL SUPPORT DEVICE AND OPERATIONAL SUPPORT METHOD FOR A NUCLEAR POWER PLANT - Provided are an operation support device and an operation support method for a nuclear power plant which are capable of accurately grasping the condition of a nuclear power plant and capable of offering support for instantly performing a predetermined operation by an operator when an unusual situation occurs. The operation support device for a nuclear power plant is provided with an operation state check display unit ( | 05-17-2012 |
20130129030 | OPERATION MONITORING APPARATUS OF NUCLEAR POWER PLANT - In an operation monitoring apparatus of a nuclear power plant, a first operation console ( | 05-23-2013 |
20130142298 | IN-CORE NUCLEAR INSTRUMENTATION APPARATUS - An in-core nuclear instrumentation apparatus is provided with a neutron flux current detection circuit which converts a neutron flux current signal fed from a neutron detector into a voltage signal and amplifies the voltage signal with a capability to continuously vary amplifier gain. The neutron flux current detection circuit includes a current sensing resistor for converting the neutron flux current signal into the voltage signal, an amplifier for amplifying the voltage signal, wherein an equivalent resistance value of a feedback circuit of the amplifier can be controllably varied, an equivalent resistance control circuit for varying the equivalent resistance value of the feedback circuit, and an output circuit which outputs an output terminal voltage signal of the amplifier. | 06-06-2013 |
20130182811 | Method of Monitoring Reactor Bottom Area, Reactor Bottom Area Monitoring Apparatus and Nuclear Reactor - An ultrasonic sensor has a piezo-electric element attached at an end surface outside a reactor pressure vessel (RPV) of a sensor leading edge portion. The sensor leading edge portion passes through a bottom head of the RPV and is installed on the bottom head. Ultrasonic waves generated by the piezo-electric element are propagated to the sensor leading edge portion and are propagated to reactor water in the RPV from the sensor leading edge portion. When water surface of the reactor water in the RPV exists below a core support plate, the ultrasonic waves propagated inside the reactor water are reflected on the water surface. Ultrasonic waves reflected on the water surface are propagated into the reactor water, enter the sensor leading edge portion, and are received by the piezo-electric element. Using the ultrasonic waves received by the piezo-electric element, the water level in the RPV is obtained. | 07-18-2013 |
20140098923 | APPARATUS AND METHOD TO SWITCH ULTRASONIC SIGNAL PATHS IN A MODERATELY HIGH RADIATION AREA - The invention relates to an apparatus and methods for operation in relatively high radiation fields to remotely switch signal devices through a shared single main umbilical signal cable. The invention is particularly suitable for use in a nuclear reactor, such as a boiling water reactor, and in difficult to access areas in the reactor pressure vessel. One or more main umbilical cables connect a control station to an enclosure housing a signal switching device. The signal switching device allows several signal generating/receiving devices, such as cameras and ultrasonic probes, to be controlled by the one or more main umbilical cables. | 04-10-2014 |
20140270041 | Actinide Oxide Structures For Monitoring A Radioactive Environment Wirelessly - Various embodiments enable wireless monitoring of a radioactive environment and related operating conditions. Structures of increasing complexity and formed at least in part from a semiconductor material based on crystalline actinide oxide-based material enable monitoring at least one operating conditions of the radioactive environment. An exemplary embodiment is a device comprising one or more crystal oscillator units that can generate a first oscillating signal, and an actinide oxide-based unit functionally coupled to at least one of the one or more crystal oscillator units, and configured to receive the first oscillating signal. The actinide oxide-based unit can supply a second oscillating signal to an antenna that delivers the second oscillating signal wirelessly, wherein the second oscillating signal is based on the first oscillating signal and is indicative of an operating condition of the radioactive environment. The antenna is part of the radioactive environment. | 09-18-2014 |
20140307843 | REACTOR IN-CORE INSTRUMENT HANDLING SYSTEM - A reactor in-core instrument handling system in which the signal leads are routed from the instrument sensors through an outer sheath through the upper reactor internals and out of and around the sheath in a substantially tightly wound spiral before exiting the reactor vessel. | 10-16-2014 |
20140355730 | REACTOR OSCILLATION POWER RANGE MONITOR, REACTOR OSCILLATION POWER RANGE MONITORING METHOD, AND RECORDING MEDIUM CONTAINING REACTOR OSCILLATION POWER RANGE MONITORING PROGRAM - According to one embodiment, a reactor oscillation power range monitor includes: a receiving unit configured to receive LPRM signals issued by LPRM detectors differing in vertical position out of a plurality of LPRM detectors placed in a reactor core; a specification unit configured to specify any exclusion signal which meets an exclusion condition out of the received LPRM signals; an estimation unit configured to estimate an alternative signal for the exclusion signal based on a regular signal which does not meet the exclusion condition out of the received LPRM signals; an arithmetic averaging unit configured to output an arithmetically averaged signal obtained by arithmetically averaging the regular signal and the alternative signal; a time averaging unit configured to output a time-averaged signal obtained by time-averaging the arithmetically averaged signal; and a calculation unit configured to output a standard value obtained by dividing the arithmetically averaged signal by the time-averaged signal. | 12-04-2014 |
20140369456 | ROD MOVEMENT DIAGNOSTICS FOR NUCLEAR POWER PLANT USING ADVANCED DATA FITTING - Systems and methods of monitoring rod control systems of nuclear power plants, including: measuring a particular signal applied to at least one coil of a rod movement mechanism at one or more predetermined times relative to an initial energizing of a mechanism coil; comparing the measured signal to a reference signal parameter, and determining if the measured signal deviates from the reference signal parameter by a predetermined amount to indicate degradation of the rod control system. | 12-18-2014 |