Radionuclide generation system

A radionuclide generation system, the system comprising:

• a tube system configured to permit insertion and removal of irradiation targets into an instrumentation finger of a nuclear reactor;
• an irradiation target drive system configured to insert the irradiation targets into the instrumentation finger and to remove the irradiation targets from the instrumentation finger;
• an instrumentation and control unit,
• the instrumentation and control unit being linked to an online core monitoring system including software executing on a computer, the instrumentation and control unit being configured to calculate from information provided by the online core monitoring system, optimal irradiation locations of the irradiation targets in the instrumentation finger based on an actual state of the reactor according to real-time data indicative of the actual state of the reactor included in the information;
• and
• at least one sensor for detecting ingress of primary coolant,
• wherein the tube system is further configured to permit insertion and removal of indicator balls into the instrumentation finger, wherein the drive system comprises additional sensors measuring radiation, variation of magnetic flux, or both the radiation and the variation of magnetic flux from the indicator balls as the indicator balls pass by the additional sensors.

A radionuclide generation system, the system comprising:

• a tube system configured to permit insertion and removal of irradiation targets into an instrumentation finger of a nuclear reactor,
• an irradiation target drive system configured to insert the irradiation targets into the instrumentation finger and to remove the irradiation targets from the instrumentation finger, and
• an instrumentation and control unit,
• the instrumentation and control unit being linked to an online core monitoring system including software executing on a computer, and the instrumentation and control unit being configured to calculate from information provided by the online core monitoring system, optimal irradiation locations of the irradiation targets in the instrumentation finger based on an actual state of the reactor,
• wherein, for the calculation of the optimal irradiation locations of the irradiation targets in the instrumentation finger, the instrumentation and control unit is configured, based on the information provided by the online core monitoring system including real-time neutron flux data, to locate first areas at a bottom of the instrumentation finger where the neutron flux is too low for producing radionuclides, and configurated to locate second areas above the first areas where the neutron flux is suitable for producing the desired radionuclides.