Patent ID: 6236699
Filing Date: 2001-05-22
Classification: G21C,Y02E

Abstract:
In a pressurized water nuclear power plant having a nuclear reactor core and a multiplicity of control rods arranged as groups for movement sequentially through the core for controlling the reactor power while exposed to the nuclear reactions in the core, a system for the operator to monitor compliance with administrative limits on the cumulative exposure in the core of the control rod groups, comprising:means for measuring the core power and generating a power signal commensurate therewith;means for measuring the position of each control rod group in the core;means for establishing an incremental time base common to the measuring of the core power and the measuring of the position of each group;means responsive to said means for measuring of position, for determining when on said time base, each group is within said position range;means for determining the core power when each group is in said position range;means for computing an incremental effective exposure for each group, commensurate with core power, for each time increment at which each group is within said position range;means for accumulating said incremental effective exposure for each group;means for comparing the accumulated effective exposure for each group with the administrative limit for each group; andmeans for displaying said comparison to the reactor operator.