Monolithic sensor switch for detecting presence of stoichiometric H.sub.2 /O.sub.2 ratio in boiling water reactor circuit
US5571394A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | May 8, 1995 |
| Grant date | Nov 5, 1996 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | May 8, 2015 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01N27/4035
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
An electrode probe for measuring the electrochemical potential of a surface at a location of interest in a boiling water reactor. The probe has a monolithic sensor configuration built into a single stainless steel mineral insulated (MI) cable. This monolithic sensor can be used as a switch to detect when the appropriate concentration of dissolved hydrogen required to provide IGSCC mitigation is present at any location inside the reactor. Using the sensor switch, it is possible to in situ instantly determine the minimum hydrogen level required to reach the IGSCC protection potential. The sensor configuration consists of a metal/metal oxide/ZrO.sub.2 sensor and a noble metal sensor in a combination wherein the outer sheath of a mineral insulated cable acts as the conductor for the noble metal and the central conductor of the MI cable acts as the conductor for the metal/metal oxide/ZrO.sub.2. The metal/metal oxide/ZrO.sub.2 sensor acts as a reference electrode in the BWR environment (i.e., at constant pH) and the noble metal sensor acts as a hydrogen electrode which responds to the dissolved hydrogen content in the BWR water.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.