Each tube of the PRTR is provided with flow monitoring equipment consisting of a venturi flow meter in the inlet piping, sensing lines containing valves, and a Panellit flow transmitter. The flow transmitter does three things: converts the pressure drop signal of the venturi to a visual readout; provides an electrical signal for recording; and provides a signal to the safety circuit which causes a reactor scram should the flow increase or decrease beyond pre-set valves. After startup of the PRTR, it was found that the readings of flow meters on those process tubes which connect near the inlet of …
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Publisher Info:
General Electric Co., Richland, WA (United States). Hanford Atomic Products Operation
Place of Publication:
Richland, Washington
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Description
Each tube of the PRTR is provided with flow monitoring equipment consisting of a venturi flow meter in the inlet piping, sensing lines containing valves, and a Panellit flow transmitter. The flow transmitter does three things: converts the pressure drop signal of the venturi to a visual readout; provides an electrical signal for recording; and provides a signal to the safety circuit which causes a reactor scram should the flow increase or decrease beyond pre-set valves. After startup of the PRTR, it was found that the readings of flow meters on those process tubes which connect near the inlet of the bottom ring headers were fluctuating excessively. As an interim measure during the power tests at low reactor powers, the meter fluctuations were reduced by throttling the valves in the sensing lines from the flow venturi to the flow meter. This was recognized as being questionable for a permanent solution since this practice introduces an unknown and variable lengthening of the response characteristics of the meter. An experimental program was therefore undertaken to determine the degree of valve throttling which might be appropriate for fluctuation suppression and to device other and better methods of suppression. The experiments show that throttling of valves in the flow transmitter sensing lines is not a satisfactory way of decreasing the fluctuations. The valves must be closed to about 1/4 open before they decrease fluctuations significantly. Further closure to about 1/8 open causes an excessive lengthening of the response characteristics of the transmitter. This provides only a very narrow range of valve positions which are permissible and effective. The increased hydraulic flow resistance of 3--5 foot lengths of 1/16-inch tubing in the sensing line causes the flow transmitter system to become nearly critically damped. This will eliminate the oscillatory behavior of the readings without causing an intolerable lengthening of the response of the transmitter.
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Hesson, G. M.; Thorne, W. L. & Batch, J. M.Surge suppressors for the PRTR process tube flow meters,
report,
August 11, 1961;
Richland, Washington.
(https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc1403648/:
accessed June 24, 2025),
University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu;
crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.
