NSF Award
0318935
This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project will investigate a low-rate fluid flow measurement technique for nuclear power plants that incorporates several novel features that permit its use as a clamp-on measurement device having minimal installation costs and complications. By utilizing waste heat on piping lines and wireless data links, the flow sensor system avoids the requirement for an extended wiring system that interconnects and powers the instrumentation within the containment vessel. The proposed flow sensor should significantly enhance nuclear power plant system safety by providing a robust, self-contained, zero-maintenance, zero-power instrument for monitoring in-plant piping systems. Accurate and reliable measurement of critical flow systems will ensure piping thermal stresses remain below design limits, for safe continued generation of electric power. <br/><br/>The commercial impact of this technology would be a new class of non-intrusive, self-powered flow and temperature sensors, that could form the basis of the next-generation health monitoring systems for nuclear power plants.
