METHOD OF TIGHTNESS MONITORING AT HEAT EXCHANGE SURFACE OF STEAM GENERATOR OF REACTOR PLANT WITH HEAVY LIQUID METAL HEAT CARRIER Russian patent published in 2015 - IPC G21C17/17 

FIELD: heating.

SUBSTANCE: method is based on gas content change registration in a first loop in case of a leak at heat exchange surface of steam generator and heat carrier bubbling with steam and water mix. In stationary operation of reactor plant, shielding gas (argon) used to compensate for heat carrier expansion is treated to remove vapours and sprays and pumped through a metering vessel, gas temperature and pressure are measured in sequence, and spectrometric measurement of ⁴¹Ar component activity is performed in the metering vessel, ⁴¹Ar activity per volume rated for standard conditions is calculated, its stationary value is determined. Further, heat exchange surface leaks in steam generator are diagnosed by ⁴¹Ar activity overshooting its stationary value.

EFFECT: enhanced sensitivity of leak detectors at heat exchange surface of steam generator of reactor plant with heavy liquid metal heat carrier.

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