Process for measuring a continuous neutron flux and measuring apparatus for carrying out this process
AssigneeCommissariat a l'Energie Atomique
InventorMichel Roche
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Abstract
The invention relates to a process for measuring a continuous neutron flux, and to an measuring apparatus for carrying out this process. According to the invention, a probe is disposed in the neutron flux, comprising a first part defining an enclosure and a second part disposed inside the enclosure and separated therefrom by a medium whose heat conductance is known, one of said parts being made at least partially of fissile material, and the difference in temperatures between the two parts is measured at equilibrium, to deduce therefrom the power released by the fissile material, then the neutron flux. The invention is more particularly applicable to measuring the neutron flux, particularly in the core of nuclear reactors.
Claims9
Process for measuring a continuous neutron flux, comprising the steps of:
- disposing in the neutron flux a probe comprising a first part defining an enclosure and a second part disposed inside the enclosure and constituted by an electrical resistor previously calibrated in order to know the variation thereof as a function of the temperature, the electrical resistor being separated from the enclosure by a medium whose heat conductance is known and one of said parts being made at least partially of a fissile material whilst the other part is made of inert material,
- measuring said electrical resistor to yield the temperature of the second part and measuring the temperature of the first part of the probe, and
- establishing from the difference in the temperatures measured at equilibrium between the two parts of the probe and the corresponding value of the heat conductance of the medium, the power continuously released by the part made of fissile material.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.