This extremely stable and reliable system monitors concentrations of fission and activation products in reactor plant systems to detect degradation in the fuel boundary integrity based on key isotope activity levels and their relative abundances. The FINESS System is an excellent example of this type of system.
Monitors concentrations of fission and activation products in the primary coolant to detect impending fuel element failure
Provides unmatched STABILITY and reliability even under conditions of varying count rate and temperature
Provides graphic display of concentration levels
Monitors user-defined alarm levels
Performs QA checks automatically on its own performance
Includes powerful, flexible networking options
The Problem
Each fission reaction in the fuel of a nuclear reactor produces two fission fragments which share an average of 167 MeV of kinetic energy, with each fragment's share being inversely proportional to its mass. Among the fragments are xenon and krypton. As the concentrations of these gases increase, the fuel expands and exerts pressure on the cladding. The start of cladding rupture is observable by an increase in the concentration of those gases and then by radioiodine in the primary coolant.