A SPARK DISCHARGE DEVICE IS CONSIDERED AS A SENSOR FOR WATERVAPOR CONTAMINATION OF HIGH PRESSURE HELIUM GAS COOLANT IN HTGR'S (HIGH TEMPERATUE GAS REACTORS).

A SPARK DISCHARGE DEVICE IS CONSIDERED AS A SENSOR FOR WATERVAPOR CONTAMINATION OF HIGH PRESSURE HELIUM GAS COOLANT IN HTGR'S (HIGH TEMPERATUE GAS REACTORS). IT IS NECESSARY TO CAREFULLY MONITOR WATER VAPOR LEVELS SINCE MORE THAN A FEW PARTS PER MILLION ADVERSELY AFFECTS REACTOR GRAPHITE STRUCTURES AND FUEL ASSEMBLIES. THE TECHNIQUE WOULD EMPLOY OPTICAL DETECTION OF HYDROXYL (OH) OR ATOMIC OXYGEN OR HYDROGEN EMISSION DUE TO DISSOCIATION OF WATER [H(2)O] IN A SPARK DISCHARGE. THE METHOD COMBINES EXCELLENT ACCURACY SENSITIVITY WITH FAST TIME RESPONSE. IN ADDITION, THE DEVICE WOULD BE RUGGED AND LOW-COST, AND IT COULD ALSO BE DESIGNED TO MEASURE OTHER POSSIBLE COOLANT CONTAMINANTS. THE PHASE I OBJECTIVE IS THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE PROOF OF PRINCIPAL EXPERIMENT TO DEMONSTRATE WATER VAPOR DETECTION IN HIGH PRESSURE HELIUM. IN PHASE II, A FLEXIBLE BRASS BOARD APPARATUS WOULD BE BUILT, AND MEASUREMENTS WOULD BE MADE WITH A VARIETY OF GAS SAMPLES AND INSTRUMENTAL CONFIGURATIONS, AND A PROTOTYPE WATER MONITOR WILL BE DESIGNED.