Development of fast reactor structural integrity monitoring technology using optical fiber sensors

Matsuba, Kenichi  ; Ito, Chikara   ; Kawahara, Hirotaka ; Aoyama, Takafumi 

Significant thermal stresses are loaded onto the structures of sodium-cooled fast reactor (SFR) due to high temperature and large temperature gradients associated with employing sodium coolant with its high thermal conductivity and low heat capacity. Therefore, it is important to monitor the temperature variation, related stress and displacement, and vibration in the cooling system piping and components in order to assure structural integrity while the reactor plant is in-service. SFR structural integrity monitoring can be enhanced by an optical fiber sensor, which is capable of continuous or dispersed distribution measurements of various properties such as radiation dose, temperature, strain, displacement and acceleration. In the experimental fast reactor Joyo, displacement and vibration measurements of the primary cooling system have been carried out using Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) sensors to evaluate the durability and measurement accuracy of FBG sensors in a high -ray environment. The data were successfully obtained with no significant signal loss up to an accumulated -ray dose of approximately 410 Gy corresponding to 120 EFPDs operation. Measured displacement of the piping support was nearly equal to the calculated thermal displacement. Measured vibration power spectra of the piping support were similar to those measured with a reference acceleration sensor. The measured results indicate that the FBG sensor is suitable for monitoring the displacement and vibration aspects of fast reactor cooling system integrity in a high -ray environment.