Characterization of a confined gaz by means of an acoustic sensor - Application to nuclear fuel rods

The world's electricity consumption continues to grow. In France, around 80% of electricity is generated by nuclear power. In power plants, nuclear fuel is packaged in hermetically sealed tubes known as fuel rods. By confining radioactive elements, fuel rods form the first biological barrier to the environment. As uranium decays, after several power plant cycles, it produces gases in the tube containing it, mainly helium and xenon. Better monitoring of fission gas release (by measuring pressure and composition) could help optimize the length of time pencils are used in power plants. To date, the only checks carried out are destructive: the rods are extracted from the power plants, pierced and the gases analyzed. Non-destructive in situ measurement of the properties of these gases would represent a major step forward in plant management control.