Monitoring temperature is critical in the nuclear industry. If a reactor or fuel rod temperature rises to a potentially dangerous level, it runs the risk of fires and other catastrophic events. Having unexpected high temperatures can cause environmental and health risks and unplanned downtime, preventing essential work being conducted. Knowing about a potentially dangerous situation arising before it takes hold is pivotal for both safety and business. Gary Bradshaw, director at remote monitoring specialist, Omniflex, highlights the important role that remote monitoring technology plays in the nuclear sector.
A nuclear facility has several applications where temperature monitoring is important. This includes aspects that stem from the reactors and spent fuel rods, dry stores, and the reactor core. It’s crucial that temperature measurement is accurate, as minor inaccuracies can lead to significant risks, including overheating or mismanagement of a cooling system. Reliability is essential so anomalies are detected, especially when potentially hazardous equipment is involved.
The centre of spent fuel rods are radioactive when removed, and can be as hot as 1000 degrees Celsius, taking several years to cool. Going through a vitrification process and glass encapsulation, they are stored in concrete, and monitored for many years given their hazardous nature, as their temperature can still increase to dangerous levels.
This, along with the radiation exposure, highlights the harsh conditions that must be withstood by technology deployed in monitoring nuclear sites. Some nuclear facilities have a lifespan of more than a 150 years, and technology developed or deployed for a nuclear plant in the 1990s, needs to last to the 2140s. So, products supplied to do monitoring have to last for decades and not become obsolete.
The reactors, spent fuel rods, dry stores and other facilities requiring temperature monitoring are usually monitored with thermocouple/RTD sensors wired to a remote monitoring system. This remote monitoring system accepts the signal from the temperature sensors, ensuring that real-time temperature measurements are accurately taken so that operators are immediately alerted to any out-of-limit alarm before it reaches a critical stage.
This applies to any facility at a nuclear site. Remote monitoring technology can keep track of temperature data and feed it back into control rooms in real-time, ensuring those facilities can stay ahead of any potentially dangerous situation. The data can feed into alarm annunciators or scada PC-based monitoring software, which can flag potentially dangerous high temperatures in the control room at a nuclear facility so any potentially abnormal conditions can be acted upon. In many instances, the scada monitoring system also provides historical logging for post-event analysis and reporting.
For example, Omniflex’s Maxiflex IO system has dedicated temperature modules, designed specifically for accurate temperature monitoring. Each input is fully isolated and can take data from any type of thermocouple or RTD. It have inbuilt cold junction compensation (CJC) and can generate rate of rise alarm profiles, also providing four independent trip points. Each trip point can then generate a digital output which can be displayed on an alarm annunciator, or be networked via ethernet, CONET, or wirelessly back to the control room to be displayed on a scada system. This allows all temperature data to be logged in historically and in real-time, providing a bigger picture of the environment which can help identify any potential underlying problems.
Omniflex’s specialist remote temperature monitoring solutions have been used for reactors, fuel rods and other facilities within the nuclear sector, and are designed for all aspects of temperature monitoring. The Alarm Annunciator product range has been evaluated through the Nuclear SIL process, EMPHASIS. During this process, products are subject to stringent studies, tested and assessed through the IEC 61508 Functional Safety Standard.
By implementing advanced remote monitoring solutions, operators can ensure real-time data tracking and rapid response to critical temperature changes, safeguarding health, safety and operational efficiency. Omniflex have been manufacturing remote monitoring and alarm annunciator systems since 1965. All Omniflex products have a lifetime support policy, ensuring that the company will continue to manufacture and support its products, regardless of age, for as long as they are still operational and in service.
| Tel: | +27 31 207 7466 |
| Email: | [email protected] |
| www: | www.omniflex.com |
| Articles: | More information and articles about Omniflex Remote Monitoring Specialists |
© Technews Publishing (Pty) Ltd | All Rights Reserved
printer friendly version