A MULTIPLE NONDESTRUCTIVE TEST STATION FOR NPR FUEL ELEMENTS
A prototype nondestructive test station was developed to inspect NPR fuel. Eddy currents are induced in the zirconium cladding at 20 and 120 kc. At the lower frequency, cladding thickness is measured to within approximately plus or minus 0.002 in. The higher frequency reveals discontinuities which reduce the cladding's protection against water entry. Simultaneously, the behavior of 15-mc ultrasonic waves traveling across the zirconium-uranium interface is analyzed to assure bond integrity. If the bond is good, ultrasonic energy enters the uranium to reveal defects which may be situated in the target material. In the absence of internal defects, the rate of ultrasonic wave decay is observed and provides a measurement of uranium average grain diameter. Methods of extending the nondestructive inspections to include fuel-element closures are presently under development. (auth)
- Research Organization:
- General Electric Co. Hanford Atomic Products Richland, Wash.
- DOE Contract Number:
- AT(45-1)-1350
- NSA Number:
- NSA-15-007616
- OSTI ID:
- 4112580
- Report Number(s):
- HW-65910
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
EDDY CURRENTS
ENGINEERING AND EQUIPMENT
FIELD THEORY
FUEL ELEMENTS
HAMILTONIAN
INDUCTION
INTERACTIONS
LEAK DETECTORS
MASS
MATERIALS TESTING
MATHEMATICS
MATRICES
MEASURED VALUES
NONDESTRUCTIVE TESTING
QUANTUM MECHANICS
S-MATRIX
SCATTERING
SURFACES
TARGETS
THICKNESS
TOMONAGA-SCHWINGER EQUATION
ULTRASONICS
URANIUM
WATER
ZIRCONIUM