Improvements in or relating to methods of testing applicable to the control of nuclear reactors

摘要

917,937. Nuclear reactors. UNITED KING- DOM ATOMIC ENERGY AUTHORITY. Dec. 1, 1961 [Dec. 9, 1960], No. 42394/60. Drawings to Specification. Class 39 (4). A method of testing fuel elements in a nuclear reactor comprises rapidly raising the temperature of fuel elements in a coolant channel while the reactor is operating at power so that a transient burst of fission products is emitted from any existing leaks in the fuel element sheaths into the coolant stream for detection by monitoring apparatus. The rate of increase of temperature should be at least 4 ‹ C./minute, the difference between the initial and final temperatures at least 4‹ C., and the final temperature at least 400‹ C. The temperature may be increased by reducing the coolant flow while the coolant pressure remains unaltered or by increasing the reactor power. Another method comprises increasing the coolant flow by increasing the speed of the coolant blowers, thus causing an initial drop in temperature, and then increasing the power of the reactor to restore the fuel elements to their initial temperature. Specification 897,450 is referred to.