The MANTA: An RPV design to investigate forces and moments on a lifting surface

The overall goal was to investigate and exploit the advantages of using remotely powered vehicles (RPV's) for in-flight data collection at low Reynold's numbers. The data to be collected is on actual flight loads for any type of rectangular or tapered airfoil section, including vertical and horizontal stabilizers. The data will be on a test specimen using a force-balance system which is located forward of the aircraft to insure an undisturbed air flow over the test section. The collected data of the lift, drag and moment of the test specimen is to be radioed to a grand receiver, thus providing real-time data acquisition. The design of the mission profile and the selection of the instrumentation to satisfy aerodynamic requirements are studied and tested. A half-size demonstrator was constructed and flown to test the flight worthiness of the system

Controlling and supervising the nuclear (core) power of a PWR in relation to nuclear safety and economics

Knowing exactly the nuclear core power of a nuclear reactor is one of the most important parameters for the operator; it is vital for safety as well as for economical matters. The secondary calorimetric is the only one where one can pilot on; it is a combination of measured parameters, of which the feedwater (FW) flow towards the steam generators is the most significant one. This feedwater flow can be measured by means of an ultrasonic flow meter, “LEFM CheckPlus™ system” instead of the commonly used venturis or diaphragms. In the Belgian Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) Doel 4, a new ultrasonic “LEFM CheckPlus™” feedwater flow measuring system has been installed in April 2008. The paper describes the consequences of the installation, as the total error on the secondary calorimetric decreases from the previous 1,3 % to the current 0,8 % with a possibility of further reduction to 0,4 %. Additionally, the economical effects of the installation are calculated for a 1000 MWe power plant with venturi meters undergoing fouling. For the NPP Doel 4 it was an economically interesting investment since the payback period was only 45 days. Finally, the possibility of consuming the margin on the secondary calorimetric for a mini-power uprate is inspected, technically and economically. It is concluded that such a mini-power uprate is an interesting option for the NPP owner