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Method and apparatus for locating defective fuel rods of a reactor fuel element
| Details |
Inventors: Jester, Alfred; Heidtmann, Uwe; Birnbreier, Hermann;
Assignee: Babcock-Brown Boveri Reaktor GmbH (Mannheim, DT); Brown, Boveri & Cie Aktiengesellschaft (Mannheim, DT)
Primary Examiner: Engle; Samuel W.
Assistant Examiner: Cangialosi; S. A.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Lerner; Herbert L.
A method and apparatus for locating defective fuel rods of a liquid cooled reactor core wherein the rods have end caps and defective rods collect leakage liquid from the core in the end caps, includes heating the end caps of a plurality of rods to evaporate the leakage liquid, measuring the temperatures of the end caps of the plurality of rods, and simultaneously indicating the temperature differences between defective and non-defective rods. The rods are supported in a container filled with a liquid and the upper ends of the rods and end caps are enclosed within the container in a dry heated temperature. The apparatus includes means for heating the end caps, means for measuring the temperatures and means for simultaneously indicating the temperatures and temperature differences. |
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION There are claimed: 1.
A method for locating defective fuel rods of a fuel element having a plurality of fuel rods in a liquid cooled reactor core wherein the rods have end caps, the end caps located in the lower end of the reactor core and leakage liquid from the core being collected by gravity flow in the end caps of the defective fuel rods, comprising: retaining the leakage liquid in the respective end caps of the defective rods and rotating the rods through substantially 180.
degree.
; heating the thus raised end caps of the rods to evaporate the leakage liquid in the end caps of the defective rods while maintaining the end caps free from surrounding cooling liquid in contact with substantially the remainder of the fuel element, measuring the temperatures of the end caps of the rods, and simultaneously indicating the temperatures of the end caps to detect the temperature differences between defective and nondefective rods.
2.
The method of claim 1 including supporting the plurality of rods in a container filled with a liquid, and enclosing the upper ends of the rods and end caps within the container in a dry heated atmosphere.
3.
The method of claim 2 including passing a heated gas over the enclosed end caps to provide the dry heated atmosphere.
4.
Apparatus utilizing a method of locating defective fuel rods of a fuel element having a plurality of fuel rods in a liquid cooled reactor core comprising: a container filled with a liquid, a plurality of fuel rods supported in the container, the rods including end caps located at the lower end of the reactor core, means for rotating the rods substantially through 180.
degree.
, means provided in the end caps of the rods for absorbing and retaining leakage liquid from the reactor core collecting in the end caps thereof upon rotation of the rods substantially through 180.
degree.
by the rotating means, means for maintaining the raised end caps free from surrounding cooling liquid in contact with substantially the remainder of the fuel element, means for heating the raised end caps of the rods to evaporate the leakage liquid, means for measuring the temperatures of the end caps of the rods, and means for simultaneously indicating the temperatures of the end caps to detect the temperature differences between defective and non-defective rods
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Communications 
