System and method for determining coolant level and flow velocity in a nuclear reactor
US8532244B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 14, 2007 |
| Grant date | Sep 10, 2013 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Apr 1, 2031 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY02E30/30
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A boiling water reactor includes a reactor pressure vessel having a feedwater inlet for the introduction of recycled steam condensate and/or makeup coolant into the vessel, and a steam outlet for the discharge of produced steam for appropriate work. A fuel core is located within a lower area of the pressure vessel. The fuel core is surrounded by a core shroud spaced inward from the wall of the pressure vessel to provide an annular downcomer forming a coolant flow path between the vessel wall and the core shroud. A probe system that includes a combination of conductivity/resistivity probes and/or one or more time-domain reflectometer (TDR) probes is at least partially located within the downcomer. The probe system measures the coolant level and flow velocity within the downcomer.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.