METHOD FOR DETERMINING QUANTITY OF FISSION GASES IN ELECTRODE GAPS OF FUEL ELEMENTS Russian patent published in 1995 - IPC

FIELD: nuclear power plants. SUBSTANCE: thermionic conversion power reactor has vessel in the form of shell and tube plates communicating through tubes carrying liquid metal coolant and accommodating coaxially installed power generating channels with moderator components inbetween made of zirconium hydride material; moderator components and surfaces confining vessel space filled with gaseous medium are coated with low hydrogen permeability material. Conversion reactor is provided with metal oxide tank communicating through piping with vessel space in region where temperature of moderator components is maximum; used as gaseous medium is mixture of inert gases and oxygen-containing gas whose partial pressure is 10 to 50 kPa and piping sectional area to its length ratio per unit area of moderator components surface is 5·10-4-1·10-2м²м·м² sq.m/m.sq.m. In addition, tank for metal oxide may communicate with vessel space through piping and may be installed near reactor vessel to maintain its working temperature due to heat transfer to vessel; low hydrogen permeability material for coating moderator components may be in the form of double-layer coating whose inner layer is made of phosphor-containing material and outer layer, of oxygen-containing material. EFFECT: reduced hydrogen leakage from moderator, that is, improved service life of moderator and thermionic conversion power reactor as a whole due to gaseous medium inside reactor vessel containing moderator coated with low hydrogen permeability material to maintain desired protective properties of coating. 4 cl, 1 dwg