Solid tags for identifying failed reactor components
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the United States Department of Energy
InventorsWilbur L. Bunch, Robert E. Schenter
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Abstract
A solid tag material which generates stable detectable, identifiable, and measurable isotopic gases on exposure to a neutron flux to be placed in a nuclear reactor component, particularly a fuel element, in order to identify the reactor component in event of its failure. Several tag materials consisting of salts which generate a multiplicity of gaseous isotopes in predetermined ratios are used to identify different reactor components.
Claims18
A solid tag material for identifying a nuclear reactor component when placed within the component;
- comprising solid materials which contain at least one non-gaseous element that undergoes nuclear transmutation into one or more detectable, identifiable, and measurable tag gases on irradiation in a nuclear reactor;
- wherein the tag gases generated are stable, are not fission products, and are generated in predetermined proportions different from their natural occurrence;
- whereby on the failure of a component the tag gases can be detected in the reactor cover gas and the failed component identified according to the tag gas composition.
In a nuclear reactor having fuel in a gas-sealed compartment, an improved material for generating a tag gas which can be used to identify said compartment if gases escape therefrom, said material comprising a solid which contains at least one halogen in a non-gaseous form which will undergo nuclear transformation within said reactor into detectable, identifiable, and measurable noble tag gases.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.