General Electric Company

Robert Alan Head

Robert James Law

Robert L Cowan, Ii

Ray L Armstrong

Eric F Perry

A sample conditioning apparatus that removes moisture from a saturated gaseous sample and that utilizes the removed moisture for evaporative cooling within the apparatus is described. The sample conditioning apparatus includes a heat exchanger, a condensate drain trap, and a bypass line that directs a portion of the sample to a cooling medium inlet of the heat exchanger. The apparatus also includes a direction changing fitting to direct the condensate from the heat exchanger into a condensate drain trap. The direction changing fitting is coupled to a sample outlet of the heat exchanger and to the condensate drain trap. The direction changing fitting is also coupled to a membrane type moisture separator to prevent any liquid carrying over through to the gas analyzers. The moisture separator is also coupled to a first end of a bypass line, and to a sample line extending between the separator to the gas analyzers. The membrane moisture separator separates liquid moisture from the gaseous sample and directs the liquid into the bypass line. A portion of the gaseous sample is also directed through the membrane separator to the bypass line. Additionally, the condensate drain trap outlet is coupled to the bypass line.

Sample conditioning system for an off-gas monitor panel

In a boiling water reactor, provision is made to sample the core bypass region immediate the top guide to determine the physical and chemical constituents of the moderating water. A conduit for a local power range monitor is fitted with a measurement assembly. The conduit and measurement assembly are inserted up to the vicinity of the top guide. A tube opening is provided to the bypass region immediate the top guide. During reactor operation, the saturated liquid in this region flashes to a steam water mixture (18% steam) at constant enthalpy and is rapidly removed from the reactor to measuring equipment in the reactor building. During removal, the radiolytic disassociated gases (namely hydrogen and oxygen) partition to the steam phase where their recombination is retarded and accurate measurement of their constituent content can be made. Also, temperature of the steam water mixture decreases thereby preserving unstable species like hydrogen peroxide that degrade much more rapidly a high temperatures. In the reactor building, the gases are further cooled, condensed and divided with a first stream being diverted and cooled for detailed chemical analysis and a second stream reheated and pressurized for measurement of electrochemical potential. A substantially real time measurement of the chemical state of the reactor to enable monitoring, measurement, and correction of harmful imbalance is provided.

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San Jose, CA, United States of America

Robert Alan Head