Nuclear Reactor Monitoring via Multi-Zone Radiation Dose Segmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional reactor state monitoring systems fail to accurately monitor fuel damage and cooling situations within nuclear reactors, particularly due to limitations in detecting radiation dose distribution and water level measurement during severe accidents, leading to unreliable fuel cooling state assessments.
Innovation Solution
A reactor state monitoring apparatus utilizing multiple radiation monitors, including devices outside and inside shielding to measure radiation doses, and a water amount evaluation device that calculates corrected fuel radiation doses to determine the water level of cooling water, enhancing the reliability of fuel cooling state monitoring.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional radiation detectors are used to monitor gas concentration in the containment vessel, then the concentration of gases can be detected, but the radiation dose distribution and fuel damage situation cannot be accurately grasped
Solution Approach 1:
The containment vessel is divided into multiple measurement zones with detectors positioned at different locations. The radiation measurement system is segmented into multiple independent detectors that measure radiation doses at different positions, allowing reconstruction of the three-dimensional radiation dose distribution and determination of fuel damage location and extent.
Solution Approach 2:
The measurement system transitions from two-dimensional gas concentration monitoring to three-dimensional radiation dose distribution measurement. By adding spatial dimensionality through multiple detectors positioned at different heights and locations, the system can determine not only radiation intensity but also the spatial distribution of radioactive materials, enabling accurate assessment of fuel damage situations.
2Reliability
If multiple radiation monitors and water amount evaluation devices are added to improve monitoring accuracy, then fuel cooling state can be reliably monitored, but equipment complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The radiation detectors serve multiple functions: they monitor gas concentration, measure radiation doses, determine fuel damage situations, and assess water levels in the containment vessel. By making the radiation measurement system multi-functional, the patent avoids the need for separate dedicated devices for each monitoring task, thereby reducing overall system complexity while maintaining high reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines the radiation dose measurement function with the water level monitoring function. The same radiation detectors used for measuring radiation doses also provide information about water levels by detecting changes in radiation attenuation as water levels change. This merging of functions reduces the number of separate devices needed and simplifies the overall monitoring system.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The apparatus effectively estimates the reactor state by accurately measuring radiation doses and water levels, improving the reliability of fuel cooling state monitoring and reducing equipment costs by using a combination of radiation monitors.
Implementation Method 1
a device of measuring radiation outside shielding that detects and measures a radiation dose in an atmosphere caused by radioactive substances
Data Source
AI summary
A reactor state monitoring apparatus including: a first gamma ray-dose measurement device that detects and measures an atmospheric radiation dose caused by radioactive substances on a containment vessel side respective to a biological shielding wall surrounding a pressure vessel and outside the pressure vessel; a second gamma ray-dose measurement device that detects and measures a radiation dose on the pressure vessel side respective to the biological shielding wall; a fuel radiation measuring device that detects and measures a radiation dose of fuel in the pressure vessel; and a water amount evaluation device that calculates a difference between radiation doses measured by the fuel radiation measuring device and the first gamma ray-dose measurement device as a corrected fuel radiation dose, and acquires a cooling water level as a water level evaluation value, based on the radiation dose measured by the second gamma ray-dose measurement device and the corrected fuel radiation dose.