Design, development and performance testing of fast response electronics for eddy current flowmeter in monitoring sodium flow

The paper discusses the design, development and performance tests of a fast response processing electronics for an eddy current flowmeter that has been developed indigenously to measure sodium flow in the primary sodium pump discharge line, pumping liquid sodium to the core consisting of fuel sub-assemblies in the prototype fast breeder reactor at Kalpakkam, India. Liquid sodium is the main coolant in Fast Breeder Nuclear Reactor. Eddy current flowmeters are deployed in liquid metal cooled fast reactors. The measurement of flow rate of the coolant is important to maintain the overall performance of the pump which in turn is the safety requirement of the system. The faster response of the measuring system is required to ensure the protection of the reactor under pump seizer and discharge pipe rupture. This work mainly focuses on the reduction of response time of signal processing electronic delay.