Abstract
An ultrasonic inspection technique developed by VTT to assess the integrity of control rod nozzles to the reactor pressure vessel head is described. A variant of wall thickness measurement, the technique is based on detecting the presence of water in the air gap between the ferritic nozzle and the austenitic steel corrosion protection tube, which can lead to corrosion of the nozzle. The presence of water allows propagation of the pulse across the gap, generating multiple echos, allowing leaks to be identified. The basis and practical application of the technique is described and its limitations discussed.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 129-132 |
| Journal | Energy Materials |
| Volume | 2 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2007 |
| MoE publication type | A1 Journal article-refereed |