Monitoring fuel ball pneumatic transport - using change in feed tube pressure caused by ball to give ball count signal

摘要

Continuous monitoring of fuel element balls in nuclear plant during pneumatic transport in feed tubes loaded with a conveying gas. The balls are charged into the tube singly so that the change in effective pressure can be measured by a venturi arranged in the gas inlet together with an integrated differential manometer. The measurement is converted into an electrical signal. The signals are used to count the number of balls fed into the tube, whilst the period of the pressure change provides information on ball behaviour in transit. The effective pressure on a time basis during ball transit should be recorded and displayed by an oscillograph memory.