REMOTE MONITORING OF CRITICAL REACTOR PARAMETERS

• US 20160189811A1
• Filed: 12/17/2015
• Published: 06/30/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NuScale Power, LLC. (Fluor Enterprises, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: NuScale Power, LLC. (Fluor Enterprises, Inc.)
• Inventors: Pottorf, Jason, Hough, Ted
• Granted Patent: US 10,445,160 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/00 Error detection; Error correction; Monitoring error detection, correction or monitoring in information storage based on relative movement between record carrier and transducer G11B20/18; monitoring, i.e. supervising the progress of recording or reproducing G11B27/36; in static stores G11C29/00
• CPC Class Codes: G21C 17/00 Monitoring; Testing measuring in general G01; Maintaining
• CPC Class Codes: G21D 1/00 Details of nuclear power plant control G21D3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G21D 3/04 Safety arrangements emergency protection of reactor G21C9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G21D 3/06 responsive to faults within the plant in the reactor G21C9/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 30/00 Energy generation of nuclear origin
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 30/30 Nuclear fission reactors

Abstract

A nuclear reactor instrumentation system and method, including a backup power source, a wireless transmitter, and various system sensors is configured to identify a loss of normal power to a nuclear reactor instrumentation system and cause power to be provided from the backup power source to the wireless transmitter in order to transmit data from nuclear reactor instrumentation sensors to a remote location via the wireless transmitter.

Claims

1. A nuclear reactor instrumentation system, comprising:

a backup power source;

a wireless transmitter;

a processor electrically connected to the backup power source and the wireless transmitter; and

a memory coupled to the processor and containing stored programming instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

receive data from one or more nuclear reactor instrumentation sensors;

identify a loss of normal power to the nuclear power instrumentation system;

in response to identifying the loss of normal power, cause power to be provided from the backup power source to the wireless transmitter; and

cause the wireless transmitter to transmit the received data.

2. The nuclear reactor instrumentation system of claim 1, wherein the identified loss of normal power comprises a loss of power to a post-accident monitoring system.

3. The nuclear reactor instrumentation system of claim 1, wherein the nuclear reactor instrumentation sensors are coupled to a nuclear reactor housed in a reactor building, and further wherein the wireless transmitter is located in the reactor building.

4. The nuclear reactor instrumentation system of claim 3, further comprising one or more remote monitoring computers configured to receive the data transmitted from the wireless transmitter, the remote monitoring computers being located remotely from the reactor building.

5. The nuclear reactor instrumentation system of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors comprises one or more of a valve position indicator, a temperature gauge, and a pressure gauge.

6. The nuclear reactor instrumentation system of claim 1, further comprising a nuclear power system having a reactor core within a reactor vessel, the nuclear reactor instrumentation sensors being configured and positioned to monitor parameters of the nuclear power system.

7. A nuclear reactor instrumentation system for monitoring a nuclear power system having a reactor core within a reactor vessel, the reactor vessel having a plurality of sensors for monitoring parameters of the nuclear power system, comprising:

a computer having a processor and configured to be powered by a normal power source and a backup power source;

a wireless transmitter operable under the control of the processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor and containing stored programming instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

receive data from the sensors;

identify a loss of power from the normal power source;

in response to identifying the loss of normal power, cause the wireless transmitter to transmit the received data.

8. The nuclear reactor instrumentation system of claim 7, wherein the stored programming instructions further cause the processor to switch operation of the computer from the normal power source to the backup power source.

9. The nuclear reactor instrumentation system of claim 8, wherein the identified loss of normal power comprises a loss of power to a post-accident monitoring system.

10. The nuclear reactor instrumentation system of claim 8, wherein the identified loss of normal power comprises a loss of power to a nuclear power system control room.

11. The nuclear reactor instrumentation system of claim 8, wherein the identified loss of normal power comprises a loss of power to one or more nuclear power system monitoring panels.

12. The nuclear reactor instrumentation system of claim 7, wherein the nuclear power system is housed in a reactor building, and further wherein the wireless transmitter is located in the reactor building.

13. The nuclear reactor instrumentation system of claim 12, further comprising a remote monitoring computer configured to receive the data transmitted from the wireless transmitter, the remote monitoring computer being located remotely from the reactor building.

14. The nuclear reactor instrumentation system of claim 7, wherein the one or more sensors comprises one or more of a valve position indicator, a temperature gauge, and a pressure gauge.

15. A method of monitoring a nuclear power system having a nuclear reactor, comprising:

receiving data from one or more nuclear reactor instrumentation sensors;

identifying a loss of normal power to the nuclear power system;

in response to identifying the loss of normal power, causing power to be provided from a backup power source to a wireless transmitter, and

causing the wireless transmitter to transmit the received data to a remote monitor.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the loss of normal power comprises a loss of power to a post-accident monitoring system.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the nuclear reactor and the wireless transmitter are located in a reactor building.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the remote monitor comprises a remote monitoring computer configured to receive the data transmitted from the wireless transmitter, the remote monitoring computer being located remotely from the reactor building.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the one or more sensors comprises one or more of a valve position indicator, a temperature gauge, and a pressure gauge.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the loss of normal power comprises a loss of power to a nuclear power system control room.