ELABORATION OF THE THERMOPHYSICAL INSTRUMENTS FOR NON-DESTRUCTIVE EXAMINATION OF TIGHTNESS AND GAS PARAMETERS INSIDE POWER REACTOR FUEL RODS
A. Yu. Novikov, V. V. Pastushin, Yu. K. Bibilashvili, A. A. Bochvar** STATE SCIENTIFIC CENTER of Russian Federation VNIINM **All-Russia Research Institute of Inorganic Materials Moscow, 123060, Russia, P. O. Box 369
Keywords: NDT, Thermophysical, Gas Parameters, Power Reactor, Fuel Rods
ABSTRACT
The developed thermophysical method and automatic measurement instruments for express non-destructive leak tightness and gas parameter inspection inside power reactor fuel rods and FAs both in the process of their production at a plant and under hot cell, cooling pool or storage conditions are described. The method of gas parameter measurement based on examination of parameters of thermal convection that aroused in gas volume of rod plenum by technical instruments. The developed technique allows us determination of the internal gas pressure in every rod with high accuracy and of the partial pressure of every main constituent in gaseous mixture inside irradiated fuel rod. This elaboration were realized in Russia for examination of any kind fuel rod with empty gas plenum and could be the base of new technique development for non-destructive gas parameter examination of rods filled by spring or another elements of design.
Publication Source: Trends in NDE Science & Technology; Proceedings of the 14th World Conference on Non-Destructive Testing, New Delhi, 8-13 December 1996.Vol. 2, pages 317 - 322 Publisher:Ashgate Publishing Company
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