United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority

Edward Duncombe

Gordon Thatcher

Peter F Roach

John P Winstanley

Charles P Gratton

Ian Hulse

John Adamson

A threshold temperature is detected by providing a sensor (12) comprising a magnet (13) inside a ferromagnetic shield (14) which has a lower Curie point than that of the magnet. Below threshold the sensor is magnetically characterless. Above threshold the sensor displays a magnetic character which is detected at a solid-state magnetometer (16). In one application the sensor is located in a breeder fuel sub-assembly (20) at the breeder/fuel region (22) of a fast-fission nuclear reactor and the magnetometer is located in a fuel sub-assembly (21). In another application the sensor is located inside a sealed containment vessel and the magnetometer is located outside the vessel.

Temperature threshold detectors

Failed fuel detection apparatus for nuclear reactors cooled by liquid metal has a pump (11) for impelling coolant metal along sampling pipes (10) to outlet points (10a) in the pipes. A rotary collector (15) is provided to scan the outlet points with a gap between the outlet points and the collector across which coolant in the sampling pipes can be impelled. The pump (11) is preferably of the helical annular linear induction type with the pipes passing through the annulus of the pump while being wetted internally and externally by liquid metal.

Failed fuel detection apparatus

Prior to effecting a repair of a leaking heat exchanger tube by an internal repair tube brazed to the leaking tube, strain in the leaking tube is measured while heating it to brazing temperature. A braze is only effected if the strain is below a predetermined level. Apparatus for carrying out the strain measurement typically of probe form having a strain gauge head (21) at the nose of the probe and a heater element (23). Preferably, the length of the probe is such that the head (21) reaches to just above a grid support plate (12). Where strain is found to be above said predetermined level and the leaking tube is of U-shape the strain may be relieved by heating both legs of the tube. Alternatively, strain may be relieved by thinning and bulging the leaking tube (FIGS. 5A-C) at a region close enough to the braze for the thinned zone to experience heat from the braze to allow it to yield under the strain.

Heat exchanger tube repair

An electromagnetic pump of the helical annular linear induction type has pumped flow along paths which lie both inside and outside pipes (21) passing through the pump annulus (14). The pipes may be sampling pipes of failed fuel element detection apparatus. A number of pumps according to the invention may be arranged in cascade with selected pipes passing in series through selected combinations of pumps in the cascade so that, with an appropriate energization of selected pumps, flow along one pipe can be created while flow along other pipes is prevented.

Electromagnetic pumps of the helical linear induction type

In a cluster of nuclear fuel rods cooled by liquid metal an obstruction to coolant flow results in overheating in the wake of the obstruction. By the provision of open ended heat transfer tubes in the flow channels, a guaranteed supply of coolant is maintained and this supply holds the temperature to below saturation. Heat transfer via the tubes is highly efficient and ensures that a sufficient temperature rise occurs at the cluster exit to provoke a response from the outlet temperature transducer sensing average temperature.

Nuclear fuel for liquid metal cooled nuclear reactors

A liquid metal cooled fast breeder nuclear reactor of the kind wherein the fuel assembly is submerged in a pool of liquid metal coolant in a primary vessel which is housed in a concrete vault. The fuel assembly, which comprises a multiplicity of elongate fuel pins, is sub-divided into a plurality of elongate sub-assembly constructions which upstand side-by-side. The fuel assembly has an inner zone comprised mainly of fissile material and a surrounding outer zone comprised mainly of breeder material. The sub-assemblies in the outer zone include electro-magnetic braking devices for regulating the flow of coolant through the sub-assemblies and the magnetic fields of the electro-magnetic braking devices are temperature sensitive being arranged so that as the power output of the breeder sub-assemblies increases the electro-magnetic resistance to coolant flow is reduced thereby maintaining the temperature of the coolant outlets from the sub-assemblies substantially constant.

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Altrincham, United Kingdom

Edward Duncombe