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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7778378 | Leak detection method for testing fuel rods of fuel assemblies of a boiling water reactor for leaks Fuel rods of fuel assemblies of a boiling water reactor are tested for leaks. A plurality of fuel assemblies are each arranged adjacent to one another in a cell of the upper core grid of the boiling water reactor. A hood is placed above a plurality of cells A water ... | 08/17/2010 |
| 7151262 | Radioactive gas measurement apparatus and failed fuel detection system To provide a radioactive gas measurement apparatus that is simply constructed and can efficiently measure Xe-133 in a radioactive gas on-line under the condition that the radioactive gas is mixed with interference N-13, an apparatus is provided for measuring a radia... | 12/19/2006 |
| 7096600 | Forced gas flow canister dehydration The present invention provides a method and system for ensuring that cavities used to store radioactive elements are adequately dried without intrusive measuring. In one aspect the invention is a method of drying a cavity loaded with radioactive elements, the loaded... | 08/29/2006 |
| 6680994 | Monitoring the contents of a container by ultrasonic means The contents of a container 1 are non-intrusively monitored by probing the container with an ultrasonic signal, and measuring changes in the ultrasound signature of the received signal after the signal has passed through the contents of the container.... | 01/20/2004 |
| 6570949 | Method and apparatus for testing nuclear reactor fuel assemblies A method for testing whether fuel rods of fuel assemblies resting on a working base and under water, of a nuclear reactor are leaking is disclosed. The method includes heating at least one first fuel assembly of a first division of fuel assemblies for dri... | 05/27/2003 |
| 6493413 | Fuel assembly mechanical flow restriction apparatus for detecting failure in situ of nuclear fuel rods in a fuel assembly during reactor shutdown A fuel assembly mechanical flow restriction apparatus for detecting failure in situ of nuclear fuel rods in a fuel assembly during reactor shutdown.... | 12/10/2002 |
| 6345082 | Fuel assembly mechanical flow restriction apparatus for detecting failure in situ of nuclear fuel rods in a fuel assembly during reactor shutdown A fuel assembly mechanical flow restriction apparatus for detecting failure in situ of nuclear fuel rods in a fuel assembly during reactor shutdown.... | 02/05/2002 |
| 6088417 | Apparatus and method for leak detection An apparatus and a method for detecting and locating leaks in a nuclear plant, in particular a pipeline in a nuclear plant, include a collection line which is permeable to a substance to be detected and which communicates with a pump and with a sensor for... | 07/11/2000 |
| 6067337 | Multiple-sheathed sodium leakage detection apparatus A multiple-sheathed sodium leakage detection apparatus capable of detecting a small amount of leakage of sodium due to a breakage of a well for temperature measurement at an early stage of the leakage. The apparatus is a combination of a multiple-sheathed... | 05/23/2000 |
| 5960051 | Methods and apparatus for moving fuel bundles in a nuclear reactor Methods and apparatus for moving fuel bundles in a reactor pressure vessel (RPV) of a nuclear reactor are described. In one embodiment of the apparatus, a support tube facilitates the positioning of a multiple channeled magazine within the RPV, especially... | 09/28/1999 |
| 5754610 | In-mast sipping modular mast modification An apparatus for testing a nuclear fuel assembly for leaks by sweeping a fluid along the fuel assembly while the fuel assembly is disposed in a pool. The apparatus includes a bridge overlying the pool and a mast assembly depending from the bridge. The mas... | 05/19/1998 |
| 5687207 | Refueling machine A refueling machine for refueling a pressurized water reactor has a trolley which travels on rails mounted on a transversely movable bridge. The trolley supports a refueling mast which includes an outer mast and two horizontally spaced apart, vertically m... | 11/11/1997 |
| 5638414 | Method for detecting failure of nuclear reactor fuel The present invention provides a method for identifying failed fuel elements and the scale of damage accurately, quickly and at low cost without disassembling a fuel assembly and without discharging radioactive waste. Radiation detector(s) for measurement... | 06/10/1997 |
| 5602886 | Neural net controlled tag gas sampling system for nuclear reactors A method and system for providing a tag gas identifier to a nuclear fuel rod and analyze escaped tag gas to identify a particular failed nuclear fuel rod. The method and system include disposing a unique tag gas composition into a plenum of a nuclear fuel... | 02/11/1997 |
| 5586157 | Method and apparatus for manufacturing gas tags For use in the manufacture of gas tags employed in a gas tagging failure detection system for a nuclear reactor, a plurality of commercial feed gases each having a respective noble gas isotopic composition are blended under computer control to provide var... | 12/17/1996 |
| 5574758 | Method for measuring gamma-rays of radionuclides, particularly in primary water of nuclear reactor A gamma-rays measurement method of radionucludes (iodine-131, cobalt-60, etc.) coexisting with radionuclides (nitrogen-13, fluorine-18, cobalt-58, etc.) each emitting a pair of annihilation gamma-rays, particularly in primary water of a nuclear reactor by... | 11/12/1996 |
| 5570400 | On line sipping air delivery system An on-line sipping air delivery system that propels bubbles across the entire surface of the fuel assembly. A pump delivers liquid through an aspirator located near the bottom of the fuel handling mast. Liquid flow through a venturi in the aspirator cause... | 10/29/1996 |
| 5546435 | Fission product leak detection in a pressurized-water reactor The invention relates to an arrangement for carrying out leak detection of a fuel assembly for a pressurized-water nuclear reactor. A substantially vertical hollow mast means open in both ends houses the fuel assembly to be examined. The fuel assembly is ... | 08/13/1996 |
| 5544208 | Method and apparatus for in situ detection of defective nuclear fuel assembly A process and a system for detecting defective nuclear fuel assemblies in situ. The system includes two basic subsystems. The first subsystem is a sample collection system consisting of a hood placed over the fuel. A technique whereby a vacuum is drawn ac... | 08/06/1996 |
| 5537450 | On-line analysis of fuel integrity Failed fuel cladding in light water reactors can lead to premature reactor shutdown for removal of the failed fuel bundles from the core. The lost power and associated fuel replacement costs are astronomically high, approaching a million dollars per day i... | 07/16/1996 |
| 5530728 | Optical measuring system The length of an object, particularly a spent fuel rod, is measured by taking an optical image of a support surface and then taking an optical image of a fuel rod when placed on the support surface. The two optical images are digitised, stored and then pr... | 06/25/1996 |
| 5457720 | System for krypton-xenon concentration, separation and measurement for rapid detection of defective nuclear fuel bundles A process and system for the rapid concentration, separation and measurement of Kr-85 and Xe-133. By measuring the amount of Kr-85 radioisotope which is present, false positive signals for the vacuum sipping process can be eliminated. The fission gases ar... | 10/10/1995 |
| 5406605 | Method for designing gas tag compositions For use in the manufacture of gas tags such as employed in a nuclear reactor gas tagging failure detection system, a method for designing gas tagging compositions utilizes an analytical approach wherein the final composition of a first canister of tag gas... | 04/11/1995 |
| 5383226 | Method of carrying out leak detection of nuclear fuel assemblies During leak detection of fuel assemblies (10) for a boiling water nuclear reactor, water is sucked from an area (12) located above an outlet (11) for water from the fuel assembly and around a gripper (8) for a loading machine (1) for fuel assemblies, whic... | 01/17/1995 |
| 5345479 | Sensitivity enhancement for airborne radioactivity monitoring system to detect reactor coolant leaks A method and apparatus for measuring radioactivity associated with nuclear reactor coolant leaks. The method includes providing a delay tank in a gas sampling line upstream of a radiation particulate monitor, the delay tank allowing radioactive noble gase... | 09/06/1994 |
| 5289510 | Two-dimensional position sensitive radiation detectors Nuclear reaction detectors capable of position sensitivity with submillimeter resolution in two dimensions are each provided by placing arrays of scintillation or wave length shifting optical fibers formed of a plurality of such optical fibers in a side-b... | 02/22/1994 |
| 5235624 | Method and device for detecting a leak from a fuel element of an assembly for a nuclear reactor The fuel element is inserted into a cell, under water, in a pool. Compressed air is injected into the cell so as to drain it of water. A pressure lower than atmospheric pressure is established in the cell and then the gases contained in the cell are subje... | 08/10/1993 |
| 5164149 | Nuclide separation type of precipitator system The present invention is directed to a nuclide separation precipitator system in which noble gas nuclear fission products are introduced into a gas reservoir and generate charged daughter nuclides in the gas reservoir. A collector collects three detectabl... | 11/17/1992 |
| 5151244 | Apparatus for filtering and adjusting the pH of nuclear reactor coolant water for the testing of soluble contents therefor Water testing apparatus for monitoring circulating water coolant in service within a water cooled nuclear reactor system is disclosed. The invention is an improvement in such water testing apparatus and comprises filtering and a preconditioning of selecte... | 09/29/1992 |
| 5135706 | Device for measuring radioactive contamination on large pieces The invention makes it possible to measure the degree of radioactive radiation emitted by large pieces. It includes two large gamma ray detectors (12A, 12B) placed opposite each other and whose spacing is adjustable. They are completed by a photoelectron ... | 08/04/1992 |
| 5098643 | Method for detecting leaky rods in a nuclear fuel assembly In order to detect leaky rods inside a nuclear fuel assembly (24), this assembly is placed inside a pool (36) so that the gases contained inside the rods (10) escape from the leaky rods. By heating the upper part of the assembly by means of a heated sleev... | 03/24/1992 |
| 5084229 | Critical heat flux test apparatus An apparatus for testing, in situ, highly irradiated specimens at high temperature transients is provided. A specimen, which has a thermocouple device attached thereto, is manipulated into test position in a sealed quartz heating tube by a robot. An induc... | 01/28/1992 |
| 5009835 | Nuclear fuel rod helium leak inspection apparatus and method An inspection apparatus and method for testing nuclear fuel rods for helium leaks includes the basic operative steps of constantly leaking helium at a predetermined known value into a test chamber containing a fuel rod to be tested, and sampling the atmos... | 04/23/1991 |
| 4938917 | Nuclear reactor with internal thimble-type delayed neutron detection system This invention teaches improved apparatus for the method of detecting a breach in cladded fuel used in a nuclear reactor. The detector apparatus is located in the primary heat exchanger which conveys part of the reactor coolant past at least three separat... | 07/03/1990 |
| 4764335 | Method and apparatus for diagnosing breached fuel elements The invention provides an apparatus and method for diagnosing breached fuel elements in a nuclear reactor. A detection system measures the activity of isotopes from the cover-gas in the reactor. A data acquisition and processing system monitors the detect... | 08/16/1988 |
| 4756879 | Core cover plug of a liquid metal-cooled nuclear reactor Core cover plug for a liquid metal-cooled nuclear reactor. It comprises a structure constituted in part by suspension elements fixed to the lower plate of the small rotary plug, and in part by control rod sleeve elements and a conical deflecting plate position... | 07/12/1988 |
| 4720994 | Method and apparatus for the detectable release of gases A method and apparatus with which a sealed gas containing first container, which is disposed in a sealed inaccessible and not visually observable further container, can be detectably opened. A thermally inducible opening mechanism disposed in a gas flow o... | 01/26/1988 |
| 4696788 | Process and device for detecting defective cladding sheaths in a nuclear fuel assembly A sipping test for detecting defective sheaths in a nuclear fuel assembly is carried out by increasing the pressure of the gases within the sheaths by increasing the temperature. The fission products are released in case of sheath failure. A mixture of wa... | 09/29/1987 |
| 4675148 | Failed fuel detection arrangements In the detection of failed fuel in liquid metal cooled nuclear reactors, a helical annular linear induction pump (5,6) electromagnetically pumps coolant in sampling pipes (4) from fuel sub-assemblies of the reactor core to a selector mechanism (9,10) whic... | 06/23/1987 |
| 4659544 | Unitary structure of tag gas capsule and end cap of nuclear fuel cladding tube An end cap with a tag gas capsule adapted to close an end of a cladding tube of a nuclear fuel element and to introduce a tag gas into the fuel element. The end cap is fixed to the tag gas capsule to form a unitary structure. The end cap has a specific sh... | 04/21/1987 |
