HIGH-PERFORMANCE DIFFERENTIAL PRESSURE MONITORING DEVICES USING PULSATING SENSORS FOR A SODIUM-COOLED FAST BREEDER REACTOR

Journal article

Authors / Editors

Sahoo, Pradeep

Research Areas

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Publication Details

Author list: Praveen K, Rajiniganth MP, Arun AD, Ananthanarayanan R, Malathi N, Sahoo P, Murali N

Publisher: Taylor & Francis: STM, Behavioural Science and Public Health Titles

Place: LA GRANGE PK

Publication year: 2011

Journal: Nuclear Technology (0029-5450)

Journal acronym: NUCL TECHNOL

Volume number: 176

Issue number: 1

Start page: 127

End page: 137

Number of pages: 11

ISSN: 0029-5450

eISSN: 1943-7471

Languages: English-Great Britain (EN-GB)

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Abstract

We present an unconventional but high-performance differential pressure (DP) monitoring instrument constructed using a new class of sensor, i.e., a pulsating sensor developed in-house. This instrument of unique design is of industrial grade, and it is specially made for online monitoring of pressure in the Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR), located in Kalpakkam, India. It measures pressure in two different ranges-0 to 25 mbars (0 to 2.5 kPa) and 0 to 60 mbars (0 to 6.0 kPa)-using two specially designed capacitance-based robust probes made of stainless steel (Type 304L). The performance of this innovative instrument using both probes was thoroughly investigated at ambient room temperature as well as at elevated temperatures (above 30 degrees C to 60 degrees C) in order to assess its suitability for reactor application. The precision, sensitivity, response time, and lowest detection limit of measurement using this pulsating DP monitoring instrument are <0.01 mbars (0.001 kPa), 423 Hz/mbar (4230 Hz/kPa), similar to 5 s, and 0.07 mbars (0.007 kPa), respectively. The influence of temperature up to 60 degrees C on the measured parameters was found to be insignificant. A calibration technique has been evaluated to calibrate these pressure sensors.

Keywords

differential pressure monitoring instrument, prototype fast breeder reactor, pulsating sensor

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