Claims
- 1. A method for monitoring corrosion to a member in a nuclear reactor core, comprising:
- placing a sensor means in a close proximity to the member, the sensor means being comprised of a generally cylindrical section having an outer surface subject to corrosion and radiation, the cylindrical section having a cross-sectional area, A.sub.1, and a reference section that is subjected to radiation but not to corrosion from water in the reactor core and has a cross-sectional area, A.sub.2 ;
- placing at least one pair of first probes separated by a length L.sub.1 in electrical contact with the cylindrical section;
- placing at least one pair of second probes separated by a length L.sub.2 in electrical contact with the reference section;
- causing a current to pass throughout the sensor means and produce a potential gradient in the cylindrical section and the reference section;
- measuring a voltage, V.sub.1, across the pair of first probes;
- measuring a second voltage, V.sub.2, across the pair of second probes; and
- calculating a subsequent cross-sectional area, A.sub.i, of the cylindrical section between the first probes using the proportional relationship ##EQU5##
- 2. The method of claim 1 wherein the current applied to the sensor means is reversed in polarity periodically.
- 3. The method of claim 1 wherein the sensor means is comprised of substantially the same material as the member.
- 4. The method of claim 1 wherein the cylindrical section has a circular cross-section having a means diameter, D.sub.1, and a subsequent thickness, t.sub.i, of the cross-section between the pair of first probes is calculated by the proportional relationship: ##EQU6##
- 5. The method of claim 1 wherein the cylindrical section has multiple pairs of first probes in electrical contact with the cylindrical section and an average subsequent cross-sectional area is calculated from the average voltage measured between the pairs of first probes.
Parent Case Info
This application is a division of application Ser. No. 07/624,828, filed Dec. 10, 1990, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,122,330.
US Referenced Citations (8)
Divisions (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
624828 |
Dec 1990 |
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