Electric Power Research Institute Incorporated

Edward Moody

Robert O Crosgrove

Elmer M Larson

Harold L Sletten

A failed element detection and location system for use in a nuclear reactor, for example, a liquid metal fast breeder reactor (LMFBR), which utilizes a large number of fuel pins in an active core and which circulates a continuous stream of liquid metal heat exchanging fluid such as liquid sodium past the pins is disclosed herein. This system first collects a combined sample of the fluid just as the latter passes through at least a selected group of containers, each housing a plurality of the fuel pins. This combined sample is detected for the presence or absence of a predetermined contaminant, specifically neutrons, resulting from the failure (break) in one or more of the fuel pins. In the event that the contaminant is detected in the combined sample, individual samples of fluid are collected, one at a time, as the fluid just passes through the selected group of containers. These individual samples are also detected for the presence or absence of the contaminant, thereby indicating the fuel pin container or containers responsible for the presence of the contaminant.

Failed element detection and location system and method for use in a

A cable handling system for use in an installation such as a nuclear reactor is disclosed herein along with relevant portions of the reactor which, in a preferred embodiment, is a liquid metal fast breeder reactor. The cable handling system provides a specific way of interconnecting certain internal reactor components with certain external components, through an assembly of rotatable plugs. Moreover, this is done without having to disconnect these components from one another during rotation of the plugs and yet without interfering with other reactor components in the vicinity of the rotating plugs and cable handling system.

Cable handling system for use in a nuclear reactor

A nuclear reactor including an inner core containing both fuel and blanket assemblies and means for cooling the assemblies by passing liquid coolant, specifically sodium, across and in contact with the latter is disclosed herein. The nuclear reactor also includes a particular technique for distributing the liquid coolant into first and second separate plenums, each of which includes an inlet adapted to receive the coolant. These first and second plenums are maintained in fluid communication with the fuel and blanket assemblies, respectively, whereby to pass received coolant across and in contact with all of the assemblies. In addition, the distribution of the coolant is automatically changed, at least to a limited extent, between these first and second plenum in response to predetermined thermal changes in said assemblies.

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Simi, CA, United States of America

Edward Moody