METHOD OF AND DEVICE FOR DETERMINING POROSITY OF BALL FUEL ELEMENT CHARGE IN NUCLEAR REACTOR CORE Russian patent published in 1995 - IPC

FIELD: nuclear power engineering. SUBSTANCE: test balls with sensors distributed over their surface are placed at free level of ball charge; sensors are essentially thirty-two electrically isolated conducting sections made so that only one ball of conducting charge surrounding it can come in contact with each section. Test ball is provided with internal signal switch enabling interrogation of test ball sensors through minimum number of electric conductors (four) for presence or absence of contact with charge by means of computer mounted beyond core model. For determining local porosity of charge, sensors of test balls are interrogated at desired frequency enabling determination of changes in local porosity not only in static conditions of core model charge but also during its motion (during recharging, earth quakes, insertion of control rods, and many times in desired points of core. EFFECT: facilitated procedure. 2 cl, 6 dwg