| Class / Patent application number | Description | Number of patent applications / Date published |
|---|
| 376247000 | Temperature or pressure measurement | 33 |
| 20090052604 | Temperature Detection Apparatus For Natural Circulation Boiling Water Reactor - A natural circulation boiling water reactor includes a reactor pressure vessel, a chimney including a lattice member and arranged above a core in the reactor pressure vessel, and at least one thermocouple extension wire pulling conduit into which a temperature detection thermocouple and a cable connected to said temperature detection thermocouple are inserted. The thermocouple extension wire pulling conduit is disposed on an upper end surface of the lattice member and mounted to the upper end surface of the lattice member. | 02-26-2009 |
| 20090135984 | GAMMA THERMOMETER AXIAL APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR MONITORING REACTOR CORE IN NUCLEAR POWER PLANT - A method for collecting data regarding the operating condition of a nuclear reactor core including: positioning a first linear array of gamma thermometer (GT) sensors in a first instrument housing, wherein the GT sensors are arranged asymmetrically along the first linear array; positioning a second linear array of GT sensors in a second instrument housing, wherein the GT sensors are arranged asymmetrically along the second linear array and wherein the second linear array of GT sensors is asymmetrical with respect to the first linear array of GT sensors; positioning the first instrument housing in the reactor core at a first core location and positioning the second instrument housing at a second core location symmetrical with respect to the first core location; collecting core condition data from at least one of the GT sensors in the first linear array of GT sensors, and applying the collected core condition data as data collected from the second linear array. Detector calibration can be accomplished by using the adjacent GT sensor, the closest GT sensor in the string (if the adjacent GT sensor is unavailable) or by using the GT sensor in a symmetric string that has a close axial height to the adjacent GT sensor. | 05-28-2009 |
| 20100104060 | OPTICAL GAMMA THERMOMETER - An optical gamma thermometer includes a metal mass having a temperature proportional to a gamma flux within a core of a nuclear reactor, and an optical fiber cable for measuring the temperature of the heated metal mass. The temperature of the heated mass may be measured by using one or more fiber grating structures and/or by using scattering techniques, such as Raman, Brillouin, and the like. The optical gamma thermometer may be used in conjunction with a conventional reactor heat balance to calibrate the local power range monitors over their useful in-service life. The optical gamma thermometer occupies much less space within the in-core instrument tube and costs much less than the conventional gamma thermometer. | 04-29-2010 |
| 20100158185 | METHOD AND APPARATUS OF ESTIMATING DRYOUT PROPERTIES IN A NUCLEAR LIGHT WATER REACTOR - The invention concerns a method of estimating when dryout may occur in a nuclear light water reactor of the boiling water reactor kind. The method includes the use of a formula which expresses the local dryout property of the nuclear reactor. The formula includes at least a first and a second factor. The first factor is a first function that describes how the dryout property depends on the flow of the cooling medium through the nuclear fuel arrangement. The second factor is a second function that describes how the dryout property depends on the axial power profile of the nuclear fuel arrangement. The first and the second functions describe said flow dependence and said axial power profile dependence independently of each other. The invention also concerns a nuclear energy plant, a computer program product ( | 06-24-2010 |
| 20100195782 | Temperature Detection Apparatus For Natural Circulation Boiling Water Reactor - A natural circulation boiling water reactor includes a reactor pressure vessel, a chimney including a lattice member and arranged above a core in said reactor pressure vessel, and a plurality of thermocouple extension wire pulling conduits into which at least one temperature detection thermocouple and at least one cable connected to the temperature detection thermocouple are inserted. At least one of thermocouple extension wire pulling conduits is disposed on an upper end surface of the lattice member and is directly mounted to the upper end surface of the lattice member. | 08-05-2010 |
| 20100220831 | MODERATOR TEMPERATURE COEFFICIENT MEASUREMENT APPARATUS - A moderator temperature coefficient measurement apparatus includes: an input section receiving plant data including a coolant temperature signal being time series data on a temperature of a coolant of a light water reactor, and a reactivity signal indicating time series data on a reactivity calculated based on a detection value of a neutron flux in the light water reactor; a singular value decomposition section decomposing the coolant temperature signal into N components T′ | 09-02-2010 |
| 20100260301 | Method for predicting stresses on a steam system of a boiling water reactor - A method of predicting stresses on a BWR steam dryer that includes creating an analytical acoustic model of a BWR steam system; generating pressure estimations by inputting empirical data into the analytical acoustic model of the BWR steam system; creating an analytical structural model of the BWR steam dryer; and predicting stresses on the BWR steam dryer using the analytical structural model and the pressure estimations. | 10-14-2010 |
| 20110280358 | MONITORING METHOD AND MONITORING PROGRAM FOR BOILING WATER REACTOR, AND ACOUSTIC DAMPING METHOD FOR BOILING WATER REACTOR - A method for monitoring and acoustic damping a boiling water reactor which includes: a reactor pressure vessel; a steam pipe for transporting steam out from a steam dome of the reactor pressure vessel; a high pressure turbine driven by the steam; a feedwater heater which heats feedwater supplied to the reactor pressure vessel using bleed steam from the high pressure turbine; a bleeding valve which adjusts a flow rate of the bleed steam; and a pressure sensor provided in a main steam line including the steam dome and the steam pipe. The method includes monitoring a fluctuating pressure in the main steam line and controlling an opening degree of the bleeding valve based on a magnitude of the fluctuating pressure. | 11-17-2011 |
| 20120114089 | Apparatus for Detecting Contaminants in a Liquid and a System for Use Thereof - Disclosed herein are apparatus and methods for detecting and quantifying contaminants in aqueous solutions. In one embodiment, an apparatus for the detection of contaminants within a liquid comprises a sensor and a controller. The sensor comprises a film and a transducer configured such that, during use, a first surface of the transducer is in fluid communication with a liquid, and the film is disposed between the first surface and the liquid. The film can be a polymeric material capable of hindering the transport of a non-desired species therethrough. The controller is in operational communication to the transducer, and is configured to determine the concentration of contaminants within the liquid. | 05-10-2012 |
| 20120281801 | CORE THERMAL LIMIT VALUE MONITORING DEVICE, CORE MONITORING SYSTEM AND CORE THERMAL LIMIT VALUE MONITORING METHOD - According to an embodiment, core thermal limit monitoring device is provided with calculating units, and signal input processing units, synchronization processing units and signal output processing units, corresponding to the calculating units. The calculating unit determines if it is necessary to output a signal to the control unit by calculating the thermal state values of the monitoring regions based on a signal representing the state of the core. The synchronization processing unit, if it is necessary to output a signal to the control unit, transmits a signal-output stop signal to the other synchronization processing units, and otherwise, the synchronization processing unit transmits a signal-output stop cancellation signal to the other synchronization processing units. The signal output processing unit, when the synchronization processing unit does not receive a signal stop signal, outputs a signal representing the calculation results of the calculating unit to the control unit. | 11-08-2012 |
| 20120288049 | Vibrothermographic Weld Inspections - The present invention is related to a system and method of inspecting a weld. The weld to be inspected is subjected to a transient sonic excitation while the weld area is monitored using a remote infrared camera. The sonic excitation induces mechanical vibration, which causes heat generation at any cracks or other anomalies in the weld. The infrared camera detects any temperature differentials in the weld, indicating the presence of an anomaly. The system and method is particularly useful for welds in environments that are unsafe for extended human presence or that are crowded or otherwise inaccessible, such as with piping or other structural components. | 11-15-2012 |
| 20120300892 | Passive Gamma Thermometer Level Indication And Inadequate Core Monitoring System And Methods For Power Reactor Applications During A Station Electrical Blackout (SBO) Or Prolonged Station Blackout (PSBO) Event - A system and method of passively monitoring nuclear fuel coolant conditions is disclosed, and includes a passive (non-electrically powered) gamma thermometer(s) located in nuclear fuel coolant area(s) (e.g., in the reactor vessel and/or in the facility spent fuel pool) and in electrical communication with millivolt meter(s) to facilitate passive monitoring of nuclear fuel coolant levels, nuclear fuel coolant temperatures, and/or heat transfer conditions in the nuclear fuel coolant area(s) during a station blackout (SBO) or prolonged station blackout (PSBO) event. | 11-29-2012 |
| 20120307955 | GAMMA THERMOMETER AXIAL APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR MONITORING REACTOR CORE IN NUCLEAR POWER PLANT - A pair of linear arrays of gamma thermometer (GT) sensors arranged in a nuclear reactor core including: a first linear array of GT sensors, wherein the GT sensors are arranged asymmetrically along a length of the first linear array; a second linear array of GT sensors, wherein the GT sensors are arranged asymmetrically along the second linear array and wherein the second linear array of GT sensors is asymmetrical with respect to the first linear array of GT sensors, and the first linear array positioned in the reactor core at a first core location and the second instrument housing positioned at a second core location, wherein a line of symmetry of the core extends through a center of the core and the first core location is the same horizontal distance from the line of symmetry as the second core location. | 12-06-2012 |
| 20130077727 | ROD POSITION DETECTION APPARATUS AND METHOD - An improved apparatus for determining the position of a drive rod within the interior of a drive rod housing includes a transmission antenna at one location on the housing and a receiving antenna at another location on the housing. An electromagnetic excitation signal sent to the transmission antenna is detected, at least in part, by the receiving antenna, and the received signal is processed with a vector network analyzer routine to model the drive rod housing as a wave guide having a filter response. A group delay is detected and is compared with a calibration data set which provides a current position of the drive rod that corresponds with the group delay. | 03-28-2013 |
| 20130083883 | POOL LEVEL INDICATION SYSTEM - A liquid level indication system that employs a plurality of heated thermocouples staggered at discrete elevations along a height of a liquid pool, whose outputs are respectively compared to the output of an unheated thermocouple positioned at one of the lower discrete elevations. A significant difference in the outputs of the heated and unheated thermocouples provides an indication of the liquid level. | 04-04-2013 |
| 20130114777 | APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR DETECTING POSITION OF ANNULUS SPACER BETWEEN CONCENTRIC TUBES - An apparatus for detecting the location of at least one annulus spacer between concentric interior and exterior tubes when a temperature gradient is present therebetween. A probe head assembly is movable within the interior tube. At least one temperature sensor is coupled to the probe head assembly and configured to detect a temperature of an interior surface of the interior tube. A drive assembly is operable to move the probe head assembly relative to the interior tube. A data acquisition system is coupled to the at least one temperature sensor and configured to receive a plurality of temperature measurements in order to identify at least one position along the interior surface having a temperature abnormality corresponding to a reduced temperature gradient. | 05-09-2013 |
| 20130129029 | NUCLEAR FUEL ROD PELLET STACK INSPECTION - A method of detecting defects in nuclear fuel within a fuel rod that first heats the fuel rod to a temperature substantially above the ambient temperature. The surface temperature of the fuel rod cladding is then monitored as the fuel rod is allowed to cool. Variations in the temperature measured over the surface is then noted as an indication of defects. | 05-23-2013 |
| 20130170596 | METHODS AND APPARATUSES FOR MONITORING NUCLEAR REACTOR CORE CONDITIONS - A temperature sensor array includes several temperature sensors at different positions for installation within an instrumentation tube of a nuclear reactor. The temperature sensors measure temperature at multiple axial positions of the nuclear reactor, and plant operators are able to access and interpret this measurement data. Temperatures associated with vessel coolant boiling or loss and/or fuel damage can be detected by the temperature sensors to permit more direct determinations of core fluid levels. Multiple temperature sensor arrays permit vessel fluid levels and conditions to be measured at multiple core locations. | 07-04-2013 |
| 20130177122 | Reactor Water-Level/Temperature Measurement Apparatus - A reactor water-level/temperature measurement apparatus is disclosed that includes an in-core instrumentation tube inserted into an in-core instrumentation housing and an in-core instrumentation guide tube, a plurality of water-level/temperature detection sensors provided in the tube, a temperature measurement device measuring the temperature of a thermocouple included in each of the sensors, a heater control device for controlling a current flowing to a heater wire included in each of the sensors, a storage device used for storing a threshold-value table, and a water atmosphere and a sensor failure and a water-level/temperature/failure determination device. | 07-11-2013 |
| 20130259181 | Device for Generating a High Temperature Gradient in a Nuclear Fuel Sample - An assembly comprising a sample and a device for generating a high temperature gradient in said sample, comprises: a chamber inside which said sample is placed; a resistor passing through said sample; first induction means at the periphery of the chamber to create an electromagnetic field; second induction means connected to said resistor and capable of picking up said electromagnetic field so as to create an induced current circulating in said resistor. | 10-03-2013 |
| 20130266108 | WATER LEVEL DETERMINING METHOD FOR BOILING WATER REACTOR - The present invention discloses a water level determining method for a boiling water reactor. Thereby, for a boiling water reactor under anticipated transient without scram, risk of sudden power increase due to the uncertain water level raised to a main steam tube can be reduced by installing a thermometer on the top of the reactor or the main steam tube. By controlling flow rate of water and keeping the steam temperature higher than the saturated temperature, the core of the reactor can be sure to cool down properly. | 10-10-2013 |
| 20130272468 | IN-SITU AND EXTERNAL NUCLEAR REACTOR SEVERE ACCIDENT TEMPERATURE AND WATER LEVEL PROBES - A system for monitoring a state of a reactor core in a nuclear reactor may include an internal monitoring device located inside the reactor core, the internal monitoring device including one or more internal sensor arrays configured to take measurements of conditions of the reactor core at different vertical regions within the reactor core to generate internal measurement data; an external monitoring device located in the reactor structure outside the reactor core, the external monitoring device including one or more external sensor arrays configured to take measurements of conditions of the reactor core at positions outside the reactor core corresponding the plurality of different vertical regions within the reactor core to generate external measurement data, and a transmitter configured to wirelessly transmit the external measurement data; and a receiver station configured to determine a state of the reactor core based on the external and internal measurement data. | 10-17-2013 |
| 20140072086 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR MEASURING A SPENT FUEL POOL TEMPERATURE AND LIQUID LEVEL WITHOUT EXTERNAL ELECTRICAL POWER - A method and system for measuring a temperature and liquid level of water within a Spent Fuel Pool (SFP) of a Light Water Reactor, without using external electrical power. The method and system may use a string of thermocouples attached to a cable and mounted in the spent fuel pool. The thermocouples supply their own power when heated by water that is exposed to the thermocouples within the spent fuel pool. The thermocouples may measure the temperature in the SFP. By measuring the temperature, the liquid water level of the SFP may be inferred by comparing a difference in temperature measurements of the thermocouples, as thermocouples exposed to ambient air will experience a noticeably different temperature from the thermocouples covered by water. The cable (with the thermocouples on one end) may terminate in a location that is remote from the SFP. | 03-13-2014 |
| 20140177774 | PASSIVE VISUAL FUEL TEMPERATURE INDICATOR - A fuel bundle temperature sensing device may include an indicating rod made of a first material; an outer housing having an upper opening, the outer housing being made of a second material and surrounding at least a portion of the indicating rod; and a rod holder attached to an inner surface of the outer housing, the rod holder being made of a third material and being configured to support the indicating rod such that a top surface of the rod extends out of the upper opening of the outer housing, the third material having a lower melting point than the first and second materials. | 06-26-2014 |
| 20140270037 | REACTOR WATER LEVEL MEASUREMENT SYSTEM - A reactor water level measurement system including: a condensation tank connected with a steam region of a pressure vessel; a reference pipe with one end connected with the condensation tank; fluctuation pipes with one end connected with the pressure vessel; pressure difference measurement type water gauges that detect the water head difference of the reference pipe and the fluctuation pipes and that are connected with the other ends of the reference pipe and the fluctuation pipes; non-pressure difference water gauges that detect the water level of the pressure vessel; and a computation device that selects a pressure difference type water gauge or a non-pressure difference type water gauge, in accordance with a condition of the containment vessel or of the pressure vessel and that indicates/records the water level of the pressure vessel based on the detection result of the selected water gauge. | 09-18-2014 |
| 20140376678 | Method of and Apparatus for Monitoring a Nuclear Reactor Core Under Normal and Accident Conditions - A system is provided which employs in-core thermocouples for determining the condition of a water cooled nuclear reactor core, especially monitoring the progress of degradation of the nuclear reactor core during various accidents. A water cooled and moderated nuclear reactor core includes tons of zirconium alloy structures. During various accidents these structures become overheated and exothermic chemical reactions between the zirconium alloy structures and the water lead to accelerated destruction of the nuclear reactor core. The very severe accidents at Three Mile Island Unit-2 during April 1979 and the Fukushima units in Japan during March 2011 were unforeseen and instrumentation was not in place to monitor the course of those accidents. Timely data on the initiation and progress of the degradation of a nuclear reactor core is provided with the inventor's apparatus and his methods of using of the apparatus regardless of the path of an accident. | 12-25-2014 |
| 20150110235 | METHOD FOR MONITORING BORON DILUTION DURING A REACTOR OUTAGE - A method for monitoring changes in the boron concentration in the coolant of a reactor during a nuclear plant outage that applies temperature compensation to the source range detector output. The method then monitors the compensated output signal to identify changes in the detector count rate above a preselected value. | 04-23-2015 |
| 20160027537 | FIBER OPTIC TEMPERATURE SENSING SYSTEM AND METHOD UTILIZING BRILLOUIN SCATTERING FOR LARGE, WELL-VENTILATED SPACES - A temperature change detection apparatus for monitoring temperature change in various portions of a large space includes a trip logic unit configured to execute a trip operation based on receipt of a trip signal at the trip logic unit; a plurality of temperature sensors each including a sensing portion composed of optical fiber cable and each being configured to generate light information indicating an amount of Brillouin scattering that occurs within the sensing portion; a plurality of monitoring units configured such that each monitoring unit determines a temperature value corresponding to each temperature sensor connected to the monitoring unit based on an amount of Brillouin scattering indicated by the light information generated by each of the connected temperature sensors, an each monitoring unit generates a trip signal when a determined temperature value exceeds a running average by more than a threshold amount. | 01-28-2016 |
| 20160055926 | MULTI-THERMOCOUPLE IN-CORE INSTRUMENT ASSEMBLY AND SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MONITORING INTERNAL STATE OF NUCLEAR REACTOR AFTER SEVERE ACCIDENT USING THE SAME - Disclosed herein are a multi-thermocouple in-core instrument assembly and a system and method for monitoring the internal state of a nuclear reactor after a severe accident using the in-core instrument assembly. In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, a multi-thermocouple in-core instrument assembly includes a signal compensation detector, thermocouples, and a plurality of neutron detectors disposed between a center pipe having a circular section and an external protection pipe, and the thermocouples have temperature-measuring points at different heights. | 02-25-2016 |
| 20160064106 | Residual power of UNF - A heat transfer approach to the calculation of residual power of used nuclear fuel (UNF). This application is a conceptual design of an alternative method for determination of residual power of UNF. Our approach is based on the heat transfer analysis of UNF in the transport container with a compact storage cask. To our knowledge, the proposed method for the calculation of residual power of UNF directly in the transport container is unique and can also provide an effective tool to verify the SCALE 6 in order to ensure the safe transport of the UNF. | 03-03-2016 |
| 20160143123 | Method and Apparatus to Identify Functional Issues of a Neutron Radiation Generator - Systems, methods, and apparatuses to identify functional issues of a neutron radiation generator are described. In certain aspects, a method includes receiving an operation extractor signal from an extractor electrode of a radiation generator, determining a calculated extractor signal of the radiation generator, and comparing the operation extractor signal to the calculated extractor signal. The calculated extractor signal may be determined from an operation acceleration signal from an acceleration member of the radiation generator, an operation electron beam signal from electrons backstreaming in the radiation generator, an ion signal of an ion beam of the radiation generator, or a combination thereof. | 05-19-2016 |
| 20160180978 | ASSEMBLY WITH A TUBE LOCKING DEVICE, AND ASSOCIATED MAINTENANCE METHOD | 06-23-2016 |
| 20160189811 | REMOTE MONITORING OF CRITICAL REACTOR PARAMETERS - A nuclear reactor instrumentation system and method, including a backup power source, a wireless transmitter, and various system sensors is configured to identify a loss of normal power to a nuclear reactor instrumentation system and cause power to be provided from the backup power source to the wireless transmitter in order to transmit data from nuclear reactor instrumentation sensors to a remote location via the wireless transmitter. | 06-30-2016 |
