Method and apparatus for measuring hydrogen concentration in zirconium alloy components in the fuel pool of a nuclear power plant

摘要

The present invention provides a method for measuring hydrogen concentration in an electrically conductive material, such as a nuclear fuel rod, comprising calibrating an eddy current probe at a plurality of hydrogen concentrations; measuring eddy currents at a plurality of positions along an electrically conductive material; and calculating a hydrogen concentration in the electrically conductive material at each of the positions along the electrically conductive material. The present invention also provides a system for measuring hydrogen concentration in a nuclear fuel rod, comprising an eddy current probe; a nuclear fuel rod calibration standard; a data handling system for collecting data generated by the eddy current probe and for performing calculations using the data. The system may be utilized in-situ and may comprise a movable probe mount configured to hold the eddy current probe and to traverse the calibration standard and the nuclear fuel rod to be measured.