Method and apparatus for reactor leak detection

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR TESTING FOR THE PRESENCE OF A DAMAGED FUEL CARTRIDGE IN A NUCLEAR REACTOR HAVING A PLURALITY OF FUEL CHANNELS FORMING A MATRIX, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING COOLANT SAMPLING PIPES FOR CONTINUOUSLY TAKING TWO SAMPLES OF COOLANT FROM EACH OF SAID FUEL CHANNELS IN THE REACTOR, SAID PIPES BEING COUPLED WITH A CROSS-MATRIX OF SAMPLING DUCTS CONNECTED TO SAID FUEL CHANNELS FOR IDENTIFYING GAS ISSUING FROM ANY CHANNEL BY ITS CO-ORDINATES IN THE MATRIX, DELAY MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID SAMPLING PIPES, AND MONITORS CONNECTED TO SAID SAMPLING DUCTS VIA SAID DELAY MEANS, SAID DELAY MEANS CAUSING RETARDATION OF FLOW SO THAT THE TIME TAKEN IN PASSAGE FROM THE ENTRY OF SAMPLING COOLANT IN SAID PIPES TO THE MONITORS IS SUCH THAT THE PRINCIPAL ACTIVE SOLID CONSTITUENT IN THE COOLANT IN THE MONITORS EMITTING BETA PARTICLES WITH ENERGIES GREATER THAN 3 MEV. IS RUBIDIUM-88.

Claim 3

THE METHOD OF TESTING FOR THE PRESENCE OF A LEAKING FUEL CARTRIDGE IN A NUCLEAR REACTOR, SAID METHOD COMPRISING THE STEPS OF TAKING A SAMPLE OF FLUID COOLANT WHICH HAS PASSED OVER SAID FUEL CARTRIDGE, AND THEREBY POSSIBLY BECOME RADIOACTIVE AND CONTAMINATED WITH UNSTABLE GASEOUS FISSION PRODUCTS TRANSMITTING SAID SAMPLE TO A MONITORING POINT WITH A RETARDED FLOW HAVING A TIME DELAY OF A MAGNITUDE SUCH THAT IN SAID SAMPLE AT THE MONITORING POINT THE PRINCIPAL SOLID DAUGHTER PRODUCT DERIVED FROM THE UNSTABLE GASEOUS FISSION PRODUCTS IS RUBIDIUM 88, CAUSING SAID RUBIDIUM TO BE DEPOSITED ON A SURFACE AT SAID MONITORING POINT AND MONITORING SAID SURFACE TO DETECT BETA PARTICLES AND GAMA RAYS OF ENERGIES GREATER THAN 3 MEV.

Claim 4

THE METHOD OF TESTING FOR THE PRESENCE OF A LEAKING FUEL CARTRIDGE IN A NUCLEAR REACTOR, SAID METHOD COMPRISING THE STEPS OF TAKING A SAMPLE OF FLUID COOLANT WHICH HAS PASSED OVER SAID FUEL CARTRIDGE, AND THEREBY POSSIBLY BECOME RADIOACTIVE AND CONTAMINATED WITH UNSTABLE GASEOUS FISSION PRODUCTS TRANSMITTING SAID SAMPLE TO A MONITORING POINT WITH A RETARDED FLOW HAVING A TIME DELAY OF A MAGNITUDE SUCH THAT IN SAID SAMPLE AT THE MONITORING POINT THE PRINCIPAL SOLID DAUGHTER PRODUCT DERIVED FROM THE UNSTABLE GASEOUS FISSION PRODUCTS IS RUBIDIUM 88, CAUSING SAID RUBIDIUM TO BE DEPOSITED ON A SURFACE AT SAID MONITORING POINT AND MONITORING SAID SURFACE TO DETECT BETA PARTICLES AND GAMA RAYS OF ENERGIES GREATER THAN 3 MEV.