Method and apparatus for detecting gas leakage from radioactive material sealed container
AssigneeCentral Research Institute of Electric Power Industry
InventorHirofumi Takeda
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for detecting gas leakage from a radioactive material sealed container includes measuring a temperature at a bottom portion of a metallic sealed container. A feeding air temperature of external air passing between the metallic sealed container and a concrete-made storage container is also measured. Presence of leakage of inactive gas is determined by comparing the temperatures or by utilizing a physical amount calculated by using the temperatures.
Claims11
A method for detecting gas leakage from a radioactive material sealed container, adapted to detect leakage of inactive gas from a metallic sealed container of the radioactive material sealed container that includes:
- the metallic sealed container configured to store and seal spent fuel and the inactive gas;
- and a non-sealed concrete-made storage container having a shielding function and configured to store the metallic sealed container, the method comprising:
- measuring a temperature at a bottom portion of the metallic sealed container;
- also measuring a feeding air temperature of external air passing between the metallic sealed container and the concrete-made storage container;
- and
- determining occurrence of leakage of the inactive gas when significant change appears in correlation between the temperature at the bottom portion of the metallic sealed container and the feeding air temperature or when change appears in a physical amount related to leakage of the inactive gas calculated by using the temperature at the bottom portion of the metallic sealed container and the feeding air temperature.
An apparatus for detecting gas leakage from a radioactive material sealed container, adapted to detect leakage of inactive gas from a metallic sealed container of the radioactive material sealed container that includes:
- the metallic sealed container configured to store and seal spent fuel and the inactive gas;
- and a non-sealed concrete-made storage container having a shielding function and configured to store the metallic sealed container, the apparatus comprising:
- a first temperature sensor configured to measure a temperature at a bottom portion of the metallic sealed container;
- a second temperature sensor configured to measure a feeding air temperature of external air passing between the metallic sealed container and the concrete-made storage container;
- and
- a gas leakage estimation unit configured to estimate occurrence of leakage of the inactive gas when significant change appears in correlation between the temperature at the bottom portion of the metallic sealed container and the feeding air temperature or when change appears in a physical amount related to leakage of the inactive gas calculated by using the temperature at the bottom portion of the metallic sealed container and the feeding air temperature.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.