Remote visual inspection of nuclear fuel pellets with fiber optics and video image processing
Westinghouse Hanford Company has designed and is constructing a nuclear fuel fabrication process line for the Department of Energy. This process line includes a pellet surface inspection system that remotely inspects the cylindrical surface of nuclear fuel pellets for surface spots, flaws, or discoloration. The pellets are inspected on a 100% basis after pellet sintering. A feeder will deliver the pellets directly to fiber optic inspection head. The inspection head will view one pellet surface at a time. The surface image of the pellet will be imaged to a closed-circuit color television camera (CCTV). The output signal of the CCTV will be input to a digital imaging processor that stores approximately 25 pellet images at a time. A human operator will visually examine the images of the pellet surfaces on a high resolution monitor and accept or reject the pellets based on visual standards. The operator will use a digitizing tablet to record the location of rejected pellets, which will then be automatically removed from the product stream. The system is expandable to automated disposition of the pellet surface image.
- Research Organization:
- Hanford Engineering Development Lab., Richland, WA (USA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC06-76FF02170
- OSTI ID:
- 5354491
- Report Number(s):
- HEDL-SA-3104-FP; CONF-850887-36; ON: DE85018003
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: SPIE international technical symposium on optical and electro-optical engineers, San Diego, CA, USA, 18 Aug 1985
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
FUEL PELLETS
INSPECTION
REMOTE VIEWING EQUIPMENT
FIBER OPTICS
IMAGE PROCESSING
AUTOMATION
FABRICATION
REMOTE HANDLING
SINTERED MATERIALS
EQUIPMENT
MATERIALS
PELLETS
PROCESSING
050700* - Nuclear Fuels- Fuels Production & Properties
210500 - Power Reactors
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