Method of inspecting repaired stub tubes in boiling water nuclear reactors

An ultrasonic method of inspecting repaired stub tubes in a boiling water reactor. The top and bottom ends of each stub tube are respectively welded to the corresponding control rod drive housing and to the bottom head of the reactor pressure vessel. Under certain conditions, a crack can form in the...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors RICHARDSON; DAVID L, DEAVER; GERALD A, TUNG; JAMES C. S, TERHUNE; JAMES H
Format Patent
LanguageEnglish
Published 27.12.1994
Edition5
Subjects
INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIRCHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
MEASURING
MEASURING ANGLES
MEASURING AREAS
MEASURING IRREGULARITIES OF SURFACES OR CONTOURS
MEASURING LENGTH, THICKNESS OR SIMILAR LINEARDIMENSIONS
NUCLEAR ENGINEERING
NUCLEAR PHYSICS
NUCLEAR REACTORS
PHYSICS
TESTING
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Summary:An ultrasonic method of inspecting repaired stub tubes in a boiling water reactor. The top and bottom ends of each stub tube are respectively welded to the corresponding control rod drive housing and to the bottom head of the reactor pressure vessel. Under certain conditions, a crack can form in the heat-affected zone of the stub tube adjacent to the upper weld, necessitating repair by installing a mechanical seal. A probe inserted in the control rod drive housing has transducers which transmit pulsed ultrasonic energy toward a machined surface-air gap interface disposed to reflect the pulse trains generally axially through the stub tube. The radial and azimuthal dimensions of a radial crack in the stub tube are determined in dependence on which pulsed trains are reflected back to the probe by the crack via the interface.
Bibliography:Application Number: US19930043053