METHODS FOR EVALUATING THE ACCURACY OF FISSION PRODUCT CONCENTRATION MEASUREMENTS IN NUCLEAR REACTOR PRIMARY HEAT TRANSPORT SYSTEMS

Abstract

Fission product concentration in reactor primary heat transport systems is a common diagnostic indicator for assessing reactor core condition and determining the presence, size, power, location, residence time, burnup, etc., of defected fuel. Typically, diagnostic assessment assumes a priori that measured data (activity concentration measurements and reactor parameters) are accurate; however, this is not always a valid assumption. A set of novel methods has been developed for detecting minor discrepancies in fission product concentration measurements and reactor parameters (such as issues with transit times, purification, and spectral analysis). A variety of techniques are discussed and applied to a variety of reactor types (mainly commercial power plant designs); these techniques and concepts can be modified and applied for research and (or) commercial applications.