The Capabilities and Limitation of Remote Visual Methods to Detect Service-Induced Cracks in Reactor Components
Since 1977, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research has funded a multiyear program at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) to evaluate the reliability and accuracy of nondestructive evaluation (NDE) techniques employed for inservice inspection (ISI). Recently, the U.S. nuclear industry proposed replacing current volumetric and/or surface examinations of certain components in commercial nuclear power plants, as required by ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code Section XI, with a simpler visual testing (VT) method. The advantages of VT are that these tests generally involve much less radiation exposure and examination times than do volumetric examinations such as ultrasonic testing (UT). However, for industry to justify supplamenting volumetric metods with VT, and analysis of pertinent issues is needed to support the reliability of VT in determining the structural intefrity of reactor components. As piping and pressure vessel compoents in a nuclear power station are generally underwater and in high radiation field, they need to be examined by VT from a distance with radiation-hardened video systems. Remote visual testing has been used by nuclear utilities to find cracks in pressure vessel cladding in pressurized water reactors, for shrouds in boiling water reactors, and to investigate leaks in piping and reactor components. These visual tests are performed using a wide variety of procedures and equipment. The techniques for remote visual testing use submersible closed-circuit video cameras to examine reactor components and welds. PNNL has conducted a parametric study that examines the important variables that affect the effectiveness of a remote visual test. Tested variables include lighting techniques, camera resolution, camera movement, and magnification. PNNL has also conductrd a laboratory test using a commercial visual testing camera system to experimentally determine the ability of the camera system to detect cracks of various widths under ideal conditions.
- Research Organization:
- Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC05-76RL01830
- OSTI ID:
- 959226
- Report Number(s):
- PNNL-SA-49147; 401001060; TRN: US1000064
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 2006 ASME Pressure Vessels and Piping/ICPVT-11, 183-194
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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