Fuel rod internal pressure measurement

摘要

A method for determining a leaking nuclear fuel rod that remotely measures the internal pressure in the plenum region of the fuel rod by remotely measuring the thermal response of the rod when a localized heating is imposed on the outside of the rod in the plenum region. The temperature of the cladding at two symmetrically spaced points on either side of the location where the heating is imposed is remotely monitored as a function of time and compared to a standard to determine the internal pressure of the plenum.

主权项

1. A method of measuring the integrity of an elongated nuclear fuel rod having an axial dimension by a thermal response of a gas within a plenum of the fuel rod comprising the steps of:
applying heat from an outside, remote, non-contact source to a portion of a cladding surface of the fuel rod within a plenum area; remotely monitoring a temperature of the cladding surface along the plenum at at least four spaced axial locations within the plenum area, as a function of time over a period of approximately one minute or less, the four spaced locations being divided into at least two sets of two spaced locations each; determining the difference in temperature between the two spaced locations in each set as a function of time employing a non contact sensor; and comparing that difference to a standard to determine the integrity of the fuel rod.