Real time monitoring system of spent fuel pool and method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-8957781-B2
Application number	US-201213593162-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 23, 2012
Priority date	Sep 8, 2011
Publication date	Feb 17, 2015
Grant date	Feb 17, 2015

Abstract

A real time monitoring system of a spent fuel pool includes a detection unit configured to detect condition information using a sensor installed in the spent fuel pool; an input storage unit configured to receive and store configuration information of a spent fuel, history information related to burnup, and a normal value and a limit value of current condition information; an operation and determination unit configured to calculate the current condition information of the spent fuel by using the condition information detected by the detection unit and the configuration information and the history information stored in the input storage unit and configured to determine a risk level by comparing the current condition information with the limit value corresponding to the risk level; and a display unit configured to display the current condition information calculated by the operation and determination unit and configured to display the determined risk level.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A real time monitoring system for spent fuel pool, the real time monitoring system comprising:
a spent fuel pool storing at least one spent fuel;
a sensor installed in the spent fuel pool;
a detection unit detecting first information using the sensor from the spent fuel pool, the first information including at least one of a temperature, a water level, a pressure of the spent fuel pool and a radioactive emission;
an input storage unit receiving and storing configuration information of said at least one spent fuel and history information related to burnup, the configuration information including materials of said at least one spent fuel;
an operation and determination unit calculating second information by using the first information detected by the detection unit and the configuration information and the history information stored in the input storage unit, wherein:
the input storage unit further stores a preset limit value to be compared with the second information, and
the operation and determination unit determines a risk level of the spent fuel pool by comparing the second information with the preset limit value; and

a display unit displaying the second information calculated by the operation and determination unit and the risk level determined by the operation and determination unit.

2. The real time monitoring system according to claim 1 , wherein the second information includes at least one of a decay heat of the at least one spent fuel, a radiation source term, a subcooling margin, a required cooling energy and a required coolant amount.

3. The real time monitoring system according to claim 1 , wherein the operation and determination unit comprises:
a calculation module calculating the second information of the at least one spent fuel by using the first information detected by the detection unit and the configuration information and the history information stored in the input storage unit; and
a determination module comparing the second information calculated by the calculation module with the preset limit value and determining the risk level of the spent fuel pool, wherein the risk level is determined as low when the second information is lower than the preset limit value and the risk level is determined as high when the second information is higher than the preset limit value.

4. The real time monitoring system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an alarm unit generating an alarm signal when the risk level is high.

5. A real time monitoring method for spent fuel pool using a monitoring system including a detection unit, an input storage unit, an operation and determination unit, a display unit and an alarm unit, the method comprising:
detecting, by using the detection unit, first information from a spent fuel pool, the first information including a temperature, a water level, a pressure of the spent fuel pool and a radioactive emission;
receiving and storing, by using the input storage unit, configuration information of at least one spent fuel, history information related to burnup and a preset limit value;
calculating, by using the operation and determination unit, second information by using the stored configuration information, the history information and the first information detected by the detection unit;
comparing, by using the operation and determination unit, the second information with the preset limit value to determine a risk level of the spent fuel pool;
determining, by using the operation and determination unit, the risk level of the spent fuel pool being low when the second information is lower than the preset limit value and being high when the second information is higher than the preset limit value; and
displaying, by using the display unit, the second information calculated by the operation and determination unit and the risk level determined by the operation and determination unit.

6. The real time monitoring method according to claim 5 , further comprising:
generating, by using the alarm unit, an alarm signal when the risk level is high.

7. The real time monitoring method according to claim 6 , wherein the second information calculated by the operation and determination unit includes at least one of a decay heat of the at least one spent fuel, a radiation source term, a subcooling margin, a required cooling capacity and a required coolant amount.

Assignees

• Lee Sang Jong
• Choi Jae Don
• Kim Young Baek
• Kwon Tae Je
• Lee Hae Chan
• Park Young Ho
• Lee Jae Il
• An Jung Seon
• Chun Seoung Eun
• Sung Song Kee
• Kepco Nuclear Fuel Co Ltd

Inventors

• Lee Sang Jong
• Choi Jae Don
• Kim Young Baek
• Kwon Tae Je
• Lee Hae Chan
• Park Young Ho
• Lee Jae Il
• An Jung Seon
• Chun Seoung Eun
• Sung Song Kee

Classifications

• G21C19/07

  Storage racks; Storage pools · CPC title

• G21C17/035 Primary

  Moderator- or coolant-level detecting devices {(indicating or measuring liquid level in general G01F23/00)} · CPC title

• G21D3/001

  Computer implemented control · CPC title

• Y02E30/40

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• G21C17/02 Primary

  Devices or arrangements for monitoring coolant or moderator · CPC title