Magnetically Coupled Pressure Gauge (MCPG)
The Spent Nuclear Fuels Program at the Department of Energy’s
(DOE) Hanford Site (Richland, Washington) has packaged decaying uranium
fuel rods in sealed stainless steel canisters called Multi-Canister Overpacks
(MCOs). Approximately 400 MCOs have been loaded with fuel and will
be stored for 40 years in the Canister Storage Building at the Hanford
Site. To ensure that the internal pressure of the MCOs remains within
acceptable limits, the internal pressure in each MCO needs to be measured,
with no penetrations of the sealed container.
Vista Research, Inc. has patented a novel method for making
this measurement: the Magnetically Coupled Pressure Gauge (MCPG).
Vista Engineering Technologies, LLC has world-wide exclusive rights
to this technology. Two types of gauges were made. The first gauge
measures pressures from 0 to 100 psi with a precision and accuracy
of 3%. Six of these type of gauges will be installed in the MCO
for special monitoring. The second type of gauge is used to monitor
the pressure over the 40-year storage life of the MCO with an accuracy
of 10% over a range of pressures from 0 to 600 psi.
The MCPG is comprised of a magnetically coupled pressure
sensing and transmitting unit (called the Sender Unit) and a pressure
measurement unit (called the Readout Unit). The 600-psi sender unit
is approximately 3 in. in diameter and 2.25 in. in height. The 100-psi
Sender unit is only 1.5 in. in diameter and about 1.25 in. in height.
The Sender Units were placed in the MCOs before they were sealed.
For the long-term storage using the 600-psi Sender Unit, the Readout Unit
was placed on the outside of the MCO pressure boundary in the weld cap.
The Sender Unit senses the pressure with a Bourdon tube
installed in an aneroid reference cell; it transmits the sensed pressure
by rotating a magnet by an angular amount that is (approximately) proportional
to the pressure. The method of sensing pressure is similar to that
used in most mechanical pressure gauges. Since the MCO is made of
stainless steel, it is essentially transparent to magnetic flux, and a
"compass needle" mounted in the Readout Unit located outside
the MCO aligns itself with the transmitted angular position of the sender
magnet. In the 600-psi application, the Sender and Readout Units are separated
by approximately 8 in. of stainless steel. The MCPG system is entirely
passive. It requires no external power nor any connection between
the Sender and Readout Units. The MCPG has a design life of 40 years.
Magnetically
Coupled Corrosion Gauge (MCCG)
Similar to the Magnetically Coupled Pressure Gauge, Vista Engineering
Technologies, LLC has patented the Magnetically Coupled Corrosion Gauge
(MCCG) which uses a novel magnetic coupling to detect the onset of corrosion
inside a sealed container. The container material can be made of
metals, non-metals, stainless steels, carbon steels, high-alloys, aluminum,
or even lead.
The MCCG uses coupons
that are loaded in a manner such that they will break when corroded.
When each coupon or “stage” breaks, a ratchet mechanism turns
a magnet and the rotation of the magnet is detected on the outside of
the sealed container. This simple, robust system is easily deployed
and extremely reliable in its simple design.
Item |
Description |
Units |
Pricing |
1. |
Standard
Configuration 600 psi Pressure Gauges |
Less
than 100 |
$2,000
ea plus tooling, and S&H |
2. |
Standard
Configuration 600 psi Pressure Gauges |
100
to 500 |
$1,500
ea plus tooling, and S&H |
3. |
Standard
Configuration 600 psi Pressure Gauges |
500
to 1,000 |
$1,200
ea plus tooling, and S&H |
4. |
Standard
Configuration 600 psi Pressure Gauges |
Over
1,000 |
Call
for extended discounts |
5. |
Standard
Configuration 100 psi Pressure Gauges |
Less
than 100 |
$2,000
ea plus tooling, and S&H |
6. |
Standard
Configuration 100 psi Pressure Gauges |
100
to 500 |
$1,500
ea plus tooling, and S&H |
7. |
Standard
Configuration 100 psi Pressure Gauges |
500
to 1,000 |
$1,200
ea plus tooling, and S&H |
8. |
Standard
Configuration 100 psi Pressure Gauges |
Over
1,000 |
Call
for extended discounts |
9. |
Standard
Configuration Corrosion Gauges |
Less
than 100 |
$1,500
ea plus tooling, and S&H |
10. |
Standard
Configuration Corrosion Gauges |
100
to 500 |
$1,200
ea plus tooling, and S&H |
11. |
Standard
Configuration Corrosion Gauges |
500
to 1,000 |
$1,000
ea plus tooling, and S&H |
12. |
Standard
Configuration Corrosion Gauges |
Over
1,000 |
Call
for extended discounts |
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