Nuclear reactor fuel rod thermal simulator
AssigneeVarian Associates, Inc.
InventorEugene F. Hill
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The tubular stainless steel structure of a nuclear reactor fuel rod thermal simulator is heated to nuclear fuel rod operating temperatures by means of a gaseous glow discharge established within the tubular structure. In a preferred embodiment a length of the simulated fuel rod is internally clad with tungsten, or Mo or alloys thereof, hermetically sealed at both ends and filled with a glow discharge sustaining gas such as hydrogen or helium. A center electrode structure, as of tungsten, or Mo or alloys, is centrally disposed within the gas filled tubular envelope. Power is applied between the center electrode and the outer tubular envelope for initiating and sustaining the glow discharge for heating the outer tubular envelope to nuclear fuel rod simulating temperature.
Claims14
A nuclear reactor fuel rod simulator comprising:
- an elongated tube,
- a first hermetic sealing means disposed within said tube, remote from one end of said tube,
- a second hermetic sealing means disposed within said tube between said first sealing means and the other end of said tube,
- each of said sealing means being hermetically sealed to the inner surface of said tube,
- said first and second sealing means being spaced apart to form a glow discharge space in a localized position along said tube, and
- means for establishing a glow discharge in said glow discharge space and thereby heat said tube to nuclear reactor fuel rod operational temperature.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.