Battelle Energy Alliance, LLC

Lance A Hone

Joshua Daw

David Estrada

Richard S Skifton

Troy C Unruh

David H Hurley

Michael D McMurtrey

James R Parry

Colby B Jensen

Kiyo Tiffany Fujimoto

Brenden J Heidrich

Kunal Mondal

Robert D Seifert

Nicolas E Woolstenhulme

A sensor for passively measuring a maximum temperature within a nuclear reactor comprises a substrate, and a plurality of melt wires within a cavity defined within the substrate, at least one melt wire of the plurality of melt wires exhibiting a variable melting temperature along a length of the at least one melt wire. Related sensors and methods of forming the sensors are also disclosed.

Sensors for passively measuring a maximum temperature of a nuclear reactor, and related methods

An ultrasonic sensor comprises a transducer in operable communication with a power source, a waveguide comprising a metal and at least one of a fissile material or a fertile material in operable communication with the transducer and configured to propagate and reflect acoustic waves generated by the transducer, the transducer configured to convert reflected acoustic waves to an electric signal, a thermally insulative material proximate the waveguide, and a control system in operable communication with the transducer, the control system configured to determine at least a temperature of the waveguide based on the reflected acoustic waves. Related methods are also disclosed.

Ultrasonic sensors and methods of using the ultrasonic sensors

Temperature locale sensors include an enclosure defining a sealed volume with a phase-change material therein at a known pressure. The phase-change material is formulated to exhibit a gas-to-solid phase change, without condensing to a liquid phase, at the known pressure and a targeted temperature, i.e., the material's 'deposition temperature.' The phase-change material&#x2014;while at least partially in gaseous form, either initially or after sublimation&#x2014;is exposed to an environment with temperatures varying by location, including a maximum temperature above the phase-change material's deposition temperature and other temperatures at or below the deposition temperature. The gaseous phase-change material, in a location at the deposition temperature, solidifies from its gaseous phase to form solid grain deposits on a surface within the enclosure of the sensor. The solid deposits precisely identify the location of the specific, targeted deposition temperature.

Temperature locale sensors and related methods

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Idaho Falls, ID, United States of America

Lance A Hone