FUEL ELEMENT TEST METHOD Russian patent published in 2015 - IPC G21C17/06 

FIELD: heating.

SUBSTANCE: method involves determination of helium pressure under cover (9) of a fuel element after its sealing, at which fuel element (1) is kept in a measurement position during the whole test period; local pulse heating of the fuel element is performed in area (4) of compensation volume; time dependence of temperature of cover sections at heating point (10) and in section (12) of the cover, which is remote from the heating point, is recorded during the whole test period. Then, helium pressure and state of the fuel element is evaluated based on it. Prior to local heating throughout the perimeter of the cover part in the compensation volume area a provision is made for elimination of heat transfer. The remote section is chosen on the other side of the compensation volume area; after that, the fuel element is exposed till its temperature is equalised with ambient temperature. Then, ambient temperature below 0°C is created; prior to local heating, the fuel element is kept till its temperature is equalised with new ambient temperature; a heating and measurement cycle is repeated with exclusion of heat transfer along the cover body from the heating point to the remote section.

EFFECT: possible testing of a fuel element on one side of a cover.

1 dwg