[en] Utilities and other energy related businesses are still trying to find the right gear on the road to realizing the full value potential of the information they collect and manage. The energy industry as a whole has yet to discover the true value of a commodity that is very available in its own backyard, while other companies have done so. By deploying advanced technology, energy related companies are able to collect advanced metering information and put it to use in ways never imagined a decade two or ago. Utilities and their clients can use this information to run their businesses more efficiently or market new valued added products and services to customers. The best vantage point from which to understand and appreciate the new value proposition for meter data and energy use information is to divide the meter into two parts: the client side and the utility side. Breaking it down even further, each side presents two areas of opportunity: the first of which covers applications and practices which enable a utility or client to manage itself better as a business, while the second area covers opportunities to develop and market new services to clients. An account is given of these areas and of how utilizing advanced data collection technology to gather daily, interval and off-schedule reads, along with outage and power quality data, can dramatically extend and increase the value of meter data they collect. By collecting sophisticated energy use data more frequently and efficiently than ever before, today's data collection solutions have transformed this value proposition into bottom-line reality

[en] The paper reviews the instrumentation available for monitoring oxygen, hydrogen, tritium and carbon impurity levels on the primary and secondary circuits of PFR. Circuit oxygen levels measured using electrochemical oxygen meters are compared to estimates from circuit plugging meters. The data are interpreted in the light of information from cold trap temperatures. Measurements of secondary circuit hydrogen levels using both the sodium and gas phase hydrogen detection equipment are compared to estimates of circuit hydrogen levels from plugging meters and variations in sodium phase hydrogen levels during power operation are discussed. (author)

[en] A novel, accurate and inexpensive device for measuring short distances is presented. Data taken with a very simple prototype are presented and its performance is extracted

[en] On-line oxygen, hydrogen, and tritium meters are reliable diagnostic tools for monitoring the purity of sodium systems in an LMFBR. 4 refs

[en] For measuring impurities in sodium, at least one sensor, e.g. an electrochemical oxygen sensor or a hydrogen sensor or a carbon meter, is installed and maintained at constant temperature in a chamber separate from the main container or pipeline containing the sodium and connected thereto by horizontal connections through which the sodium is pumped, by an electro-magnetic pump. (UK)

[en] The second phase of the gas market liberalisation process in the Netherlands has been beset by problems with the replacement and modification of meters. Many people in the final group of customers due to be given the freedom to switch suppliers in June 2004 need to be provided with remotely readable meters that can provide hourly consumption data. Meters of this type can be worthwhile even for low-volume consumers. The protagonists are licking their wounds and counting their blessings before the last round of the contest begins

[en] For the surveillance of non-metallic impurities in sodium and cover gas different on-line instruments have been developed. The focal point of this development is the measurement of tritium, hydrogen and oxygen. Instruments are available for application in experimental sodium loops and reactor systems. Reactor-type meters are constructed under special viewpoints such as high safety standards and low-maintenance requirements

[en] Because of its low maximum energy (18 keV), the beta spectrum of tritium can be measured in an ionisation chamber with total absorption and fixed sensitive volume. The results obtained are compared with those given by an absolute measurement method using a differential counter. They confirm the possibility of making simple and rapid tritium measurements within a wide range (10^-3 curie to 100 curies) with a precision of ± 1,5 per cent. (authors)

[en] Chemical instruments have been tested for the insertion in sodium systems. The electrochemical oxygen meter was investigated in long term experiments with respect to meter indication and its compatibility with liquid sodium. The electrochemical carbon meter with CO/CO₂-reference electrode showed a long term drift to low emf-values which requires additional fundamental work. A tritium meter for sodium and cover gas has been tested with tritium concentrations specific for reactor systems. The influence of temperature, sweep gas flow rate and of hydrogen addition to the sweep gas on the meter reading has been investigated. The addition of sodium hydride, sodium hydroxide and water to a sodium loop system has been surveyed with oxygen and hydrogen meters. (author)

[en] The Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs requested a cost-benefit analysis of the large scale introduction of a smart meter infrastructure for gas and electricity consumption by small consumers. The questions asked in the study need to be answered in order to enable a well-founded evaluation of the implementation of smart meters. [mk]