Optimized High-Temperature Irradiation-Resistant Thermocouple for Fast-Response Measurements

¹ Idaho National Laboratory, USA
² Analysis and Measurement Services, USA

Richard.Skifton@inl.gov

Published online: 19 November 2021

Abstract

The high-temperature irradiation-resistant thermocouple is the only temperature probe proven to withstand the high-temperature (>1290°C), high-radiation (a fluence of up to ∼1 × 10²¹ n/cm²) environments of nuclear reactor fuel design testing and/or over-temperature accident conditions. This report describes the improved performance of a molybdenum and niobium thermocouple by utilizing a coaxial design (i.e., a single wire grounded to the outer sheath). This optimized high-temperature irradiation-resistant thermocouple features a simplified design yet allows for more robust individual components. The niobium and molybdenum thermoelements can be used interchangeably in either the sheath or wire, depending on the intended application. Via a plunge test in flowing water, the response time of the coaxial build of the high-temperature irradiation-resistant thermocouple was determined to be 30x faster than that of the comparable ungrounded type-K thermocouples, and 10x faster than the grounded type-K thermocouples and traditional ungrounded high-temperature irradiation-resistant thermocouples (i.e., two-wire configurations). Furthermore, by capitalizing on the coaxial design, a multi-core high-temperature irradiation-resistant probe with multiple “single-pole” wires along the length of the sheath was proven feasible. This multi-core, thermocouple design was dubbed a “demicouple.” The high-temperature irradiation-resistant demicouple is primarily applied during fuel experiments to record multiple fuel-pin centerline temperature measurements using a single compact sensor. Furthermore, the shared “common” leg between demicouple junctions reduces error propagation in secondary measurements such as temperature differentials.