ENERGY DISTRIBUTION MEASUREMENT SYSTEM USING GAMMA LIGHTNING DETECTORS LOCATED OUTSIDE THE NUCLEAR REACTOR VESSEL.

摘要

A SYSTEM TO MEASURE THE POWER DISTRIBUTION IN A NUCLEUS OF A REACTOR (14) INCLUDES A PLURALITY OF GAMMA DETECTORS (78) ARRANGED OUTSIDE THE REACTOR RECEPTACLE (12) WHICH HOUSES THE NUCLEUS OF THE REACTOR (14). THE GAMMA DETECTORS (78) CORRESPOND IN NUMBER TO THE NUMBER OF PIPING PIPES (50) IN THE FUEL ASSEMBLIES (16) IN THE REACTOR CORE (14) TO SHOW. A FIRST PLURALITY OF SEPARATE FLOW LINES (82) CONNECT THE CONDUCTION PIPES (50) WITH THE GAMMA DETECTORS (78) TO DIRECT THE REFRIGERANT FLOW FROM THE CONDUCTION PIPES (50) TO THE GAMMA DETECTORS (78) GAMMA DETECTORS (78) CAN MEASURE THE 16N GAMMA DISINTEGRATION ACTIVITY IN THE RESPECTIVE CONDUCTION PIPES (50) OF THE FUEL ASSEMBLIES (16). A SECOND PLURALITY OF SEPARATE FLOW LINES (84) CONNECT A COLD SUPPORT (74) TO THE REACTOR COOLING SYSTEM (66) WITH THE GAMMA DETECTORS (78) TO DIRECT THE REFRIGERANT FLOW FROM THE COLD SUPPORT (74) TO THE GAMMA DETECTORS (78) SO THAT THE GAMMA DETECTORS (78) CAN MEASURE THE GAMMA ACTIVITY IN THE BACKGROUND IN THE RESPECTIVE PIPING LINES (50) OF THE FUEL ASSEMBLIES (16). CONTROL VALVES (86, 88) INTERPOSED IN THE FIRST AND SECOND PLURALITY OF FLOW LINES (82, 84) ARE OPERABLE TO SELECT THE COMMUNICATION OF ONE OR OTHER REFRIGERANT FLOW WITH THE GAMMA DETECTORS (78) FROM THE CONDUCTION PIPES ( 50) OR THE COLD SUPPORT (74).