United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority

John P Winstanley

Gordon Thatcher

Edward Duncombe

Barry G Ferguson

An induced current heating probe is of thimble form and has an outer conducting sheath (30) and a water flooded flux-generating unit formed from a stack of ferrite rings (10) coaxially disposed in the sheath. The energizing coil (14) is made of solid wire which connects at one end (16) with a coaxial water current tube (15) and at the other end (17) with the sheath. The stack of ferrite rings (10) may include non-magnetic insulating rings (11) which help to shape the flux.

Induced current heating probe

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.

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Lymm, United Kingdom

John P Winstanley