DETECTION OF INCIPIENT CORROSION IN NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS

ACOUSTIC FIELDS CAN BE DESIGNED TO COAX LIQUID BORNE SUBMICRONIC PARTICLES TO ANNOUNCE THEIR PRESENCE LOUDER THAN THE USUAL SCATTERING SIGNALS WHICH ARE PRIMARILY DETERMINED BY THE DENSITY AND COMPRESSIBILITY CONTRAST BETWEEN THE PARTICLE MATERIAL AND THE HOST FLUID. WE EXPECT A SIGNAL ENHANCEMENT OF AT LEAST 60DB. THE KEY CONCEPT IS TO COAX THE PARTICLES TO SOFT CAVITATE AND DETECT THE ENSUING TRANSIENT BUBBLE ACTIVITY ACOUSTICALLY. WE PROPOSE TO INVESTIGATE HOW ALMOST EVERY PARTICLE PASSING THROUGH THE DETECTION ZONE CAN BE MADE TO RESPOND IN THE ABOVE MATTER. WE WILL BE USING A PRIMARY PULSED FOCUSSED ACOUSTIC FIELD OF HIGH INTENSITY AND A WEAK AUXILIARY COAXING FIELD TRAINED ON THE DETECTION ZONE WITHIN THE FLOWING WATER. THIS IS USEFUL BECAUSE ONE CAN CONTINUOUSLY MONITOR FLOWING WATER FOR INCIPIENT CORROSION DEBRIS IN THE CLEAM WATER FOR NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS. THIS "ACOUSTIC COAXING" TECHNIQUE, UNLIKE ELECTRON MICROSCOPY, WILL NEED NO SPECIAL SAMPLE PREPARATION OR VACUUM ENVIRONMENT AND, UNLIKE LASER METHODS, WILL NOT BE BLIND IN OPAQUE MEDIA. IT WILL CLEARLY ENHANCE THE VISION BEYOND WHAT CAN BE SEEN THROUGH AN OPTICAL MICROSCOPE AND WILL BE A FULLY ONLINE ROBUST AND NON-INVASIVE METHOD OF MONITORING EVEN SUBMICRONIC PARTICULATE PRESENCE IN CLEAN LIQUID SYSTEMS.