Patent Number: 039792560
Section: description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION As shown in FIG. 1, a pair of neutron detectors 11 and 13 are positioned in reactor 10 to measure the neutron flux therein. The outputs from detectors 11 and 13 are coupled to failure detection circuit 15 which acts to detect abnormal values of neutron flux in the reactor and develop control signals in response to abnormal values of neutron flux. The control signals are coupled to other circuits and mechanisms (for example, control rod actuator 18) to shut down or otherwise change the operation of the reactor. The failure detection circuit 15 may include circuit redundance, voting schemes, automatic self-checking and other features to minimize the chance of reactor shutdown because of a failure in the monitoring circuitry when the reactor was in a safe operating condition. None of the safety systems which have previously been used have provided for satisfactory continuous monitoring of the safety instrumentation over the entire operating range of the reactor, including startup, intermediate power or full power. In the continuous reactor monitoring system of this invention it is assumed that the entire reactor behaves as a unit; that is, the signals from radiation detectors (or other instruments) located at different positions in the reactor will track to a satisfactory degree over the operating range of the reactor. Thus if a ratio is taken between any pair of radiation detector outputs, this ratio will remain substantially constant over the operating range of the reactor. Referring again to FIG. 1, the outputs from neutron detectors 11 and 13 are coupled to the division circuit 17 through amplifier circuits 14 and 16. Division circuit 17 develops an output signal which is proportional to the ratio of the signals from detectors 11 and 13. This signal from division circuit 17 is compared to reference signals in comparator 19 to develop an alarm signal when the ratio signal is outside a given range. The alarm signal is coupled to logic and control circuit 20 where it can be utilized as desired. It can, for example, be used to actuate an alarm signal or circuit or provide a display indicating that a safety channel has malfunctioned. The continuous safety monitor of this invention, for example, could require that a signal proportional to the ratio i.sub.1 /i.sub.2 of the output currents of two neutron detectors be within a narrow range of values over the operating range of a reactor. Signals proportional to log i.sub.1 and log i.sub.2 will already be available since logarithmic safety channels are in existence on most reactors. A signal proportional to log (i.sub.1 /i.sub.2) is easily obtained by taking the difference between two logarithmic channels. The logarithm of the ratio serves as well as the ratio since, for small variations of the ratio about unity: EQU log (i.sub.1 /i.sub.2) .apprxeq. K.sub.10 (i.sub.1 /i.sub.2 - 1) where K.sub.10 is the inverse of the natural logarithm of 10 needed for conversion to common logarithms which are convenient in the operation of the continuous safety monitor. In FIG. 2 there is shown a continuous safety monitor using the logarithmic safety channels of a reactor. A pair of neutron flux detectors 22 and 24 are positioned within the reactor 21 and measure the flux of the reactor at different points. The output signal i.sub.2 from detector 22 is coupled to a log amplifier 25 and the output signal i.sub.1 from detector 24 is coupled to a log amplifier 27. The output signals from log amplifiers 27 and 25 are: EQU V.sub.1 ' = -(V.sub.d1 ' log i.sub.1 + V.sub.10 ') (1) EQU v.sub.2 ' = (v.sub.d2 ' log i.sub.2 + V.sub.20 ') (2) where V.sub.d1 ' and V.sub.d2 ' are the average volts per decade, constants of amplifiers 27 and 25 and V.sub.10 ' and V.sub.20 ' are the dc offset voltages of the amplifiers. Signal V.sub.2 ' is combined with a reference voltage from reference voltage source 29 and the combined signal is coupled to offset adjustment amplifier 30. The output signal from amplifier 30 is: EQU V.sub.2 = (V.sub.d2 log i.sub.2 + V.sub.20) (3) the output signal V.sub.1 ' from amplifier 27 is coupled to buffer amplifier 32 where it is amplified to develop the signal: EQU V.sub.1 = -(V.sub.d log i.sub.1 + V.sub.10) (4) the polarities of the amplifiers 25, 27, 30 and 32 are such that the output signals have the desired polarities. The gain of amplifier 30 is set by adjusting the impedance of the feedback loop, represented by variable resistor 28, so that the volts per decade constant V.sub.d2 is substantially equal to V.sub.d. Thus equation (3) becomes EQU V.sub.2 = (V.sub.d log i.sub.2 + V.sub.20) (5) signals V.sub.1 and V.sub.2 are combined and amplified in summing amplifier 33 to develop an output signal V.sub.3 : EQU v.sub.3 = -g(v.sub.1 + v.sub.2) (6) where G is the gain of amplifier 33 and is established by the variable impedance 34 in the feedback loop of amplifier 33. From equations (3) and (5): EQU V.sub.3 = -G(-V.sub.d log i.sub.1 - V.sub.10 + V.sub.d log i.sub.2 + V.sub.20) (7) EQU v.sub.3 = g(v.sub.d log i.sub.1 /i.sub.2) + G(V.sub.10 - V.sub.20) (8) EQU v.sub.10 - v.sub.20 = d (9) EQU v.sub.3 = gv.sub.d log i.sub.1 /i.sub.2 + GD (10) thus the output signal V.sub.3 coupled to comparator 35 is proportional to log (i.sub.1 /i.sub.2) plus an offset signal GD. Signal V.sub.3 is compared in comparator 35 with an upper limit voltage and a lower limit voltage and an alarm signal is developed if the voltage V.sub.3 falls outside of this range of voltage. The voltage range can be adjusted as desired to provide the desired monitoring and safety. The alarm signal from comparator 35 is coupled to the logic and control circuit 36 where it can be used to sound an alarm or to actuate a display as desired. The offset voltage GD is used to make the system failsafe against any failure which causes V.sub.3 to go to zero. For example, if i.sub.1 and i.sub.2 were substantially equal, log (i.sub.1 /i.sub.2) would be zero and comparator 35 would be set to monitor voltages centered about zero. A short circuit or other failure at the output of amplifier 33 which would develop a zero output signal would indicate that the safety channels were performing satisfactorily when, in fact, there might have been a failure in one of the channels. By proper selection of the offset voltage a failure in the continuous safety monitoring system which causes V.sub.3 to go to zero would be detected. The offset voltage GD is also chosen so that malfunction which causes amplifier 33 to go to either positive or negative saturation would also be detected. GD is set by adjusting the magnitude of the reference voltage from the reference voltage source 29 and by adjusting the gain of amplifier 33. An example of the values which were used in a prototype circuit GD was set at +5V. The upper and lower voltage levels detected by comparator 35 were set at +8V and +2V, which gave a range of 6V centered about the offset voltage GD. Under ideal circumstances the ratio i.sub.1 /i.sub.2 would remain constant over a wide range of currents. However, in practice a certain amount of variation can be expected. For example, variation could be caused by instrument error or neutron flux differences at different locations of the neutron flux detectors. Thus, V.sub.3 must be outside of a particular voltage range before an alarm is given. However, this voltage range is constant over a wide reactor operating range while in the case of a system which used the algebraic difference between the signals from the detectors the voltage range would have to increase at large reactor power levels to values which would make the safety monitoring useless. Thus the continuous safety monitoring system can operate continuously over a wide range of reactor operation while prior art systems cannot operate either continuously or over the reactor operating range or both. While the continuous reactor monitoring system of this invention has been described in conjunction with the measurement of neutron flux, other reactor parameters, as for example coolant temperature, could be measured.