Title: Corrosion measuring apparatus for radioactive components

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Abstract: Remotely manipulatable probe and apparatus for positioning a corrosion thickness sensing transducer over selected areas of the surface of a radioactive component submerged in a pool of water for radiation shielding. BACKGROUND In known types of nuclear power reactors, for example as used in the Dresden Nuclear Power Station near Chicago, Ill., the reactor core comprises a plurality of spaced fuel assemblies arranged in an array capable of self-sustained nuclear fission reaction. The core is contained in a pressure vessel wherein it is submerged in a working fluid, such as light water, which serves both as coolant and as a neutron moderator. Each fuel assembly comprises a removable tubular flow channel, typically of approximately square cross section, surrounding an array of elongated, cladded fuel elements or rods containing suitable fuel material, such as uranium or plutonium oxide, supported between upper and lower tie plates. The fuel assemblies are supported in spaced array in the pressure vessel between an upper core grid and a lower core support plate. The lower tie plate of each fuel assembly is formed with a nose piece which fits in a socket in the core support plate for communication with a pressurized coolant supply chamber. The nose piece is formed with openings through which the pressurized coolant flows upward through the fuel assembly flow channels to remove heat from the fuel elements. A typical fuel assembly of this type is shown, for example, by B. A. Smith et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 3,689,358. An example of a fuel element or rod is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,378,458. Additional information on nuclear power reactors may be found, for example, in "Nuclear Power Engineering", M. M. El-Wakil, McGraw-Hill Book Company, Inc., 1962. While the various reactor components are thoroughly factory tested before being placed in the reactor, there is a continuing need for in-service inspection equipment which can rapidly and conveniently verify the integrity of or detect any anomalies in such components at the reactor site, particularly after such components have been subjected to reactor service and have, therefore, become radioactive. Such radioactive condition of used components requires remotely operable equipment which can examine such components under water to protect the test equipment operators from radiation. A particular need is inspection equipment which can provide a nondestructive examination and quantitative indication of corrosion formation, such as oxide formation, on such reactor components. It is particularly desirable to provide corrosion measurement of removable reactor components which potentially have a relatively long service life such as fuel assembly flow channels. For example, as mentioned above, each fuel assembly is surrounded by a removable tubular flow channel. While the normal service life of a fuel assembly in the reactor core is in the order of four years, the flow channel can be removed and reused on a replacement fuel assembly in the absence of excessive corrosion or other defects. Previous methods of determining the extent of channel corrosion involved the cutting up of a channel and the shipping of samples of corroded portions to a laboratory for examination. This approach resulted in destruction of potentially reusable channels and an undesirable expenditure of time and money. Thus there is a need for remotely operable, nondestructive corrosion measuring equipment for determining whether or not a radiated component is fit for further service. Fuel assembly channels are normally formed of a zirconium alloy made up of two U-shaped members welded together. They are usually factory processed by autoclaving (exposure to high temperature steam) to form a thin, tight protective oxide surface film of deep gray or black color. In service oxide corrosion usually occurs at local areas, expecially at portions which have been exposed to highest temperatures and neutron flux density, and develops as clusters of pin point spots or nodules of corrosion which are light grey or white in color and which thus give the local area a "salt and pepper" appearance. As such corrosion progresses, the nodules expand in area and eventually coalesce to form a continuous oxide corrosion film or sheet over the local area. Continued corrosion results in a thickening of the oxide film and eventual spalling, that is, a flaking off of the oxide particles. Under present procedures, the channel is removed from service before spalling is expected to occur to avoid contamination of the coolant with the oxide particles. Measurement of thickness of the corrosion film can be used to preduct the onset of spalling. Measurement of corrosion thickness can also be used to indicate the effectiveness of heat treatment and other processes used to provide improved corrosion resistance. It is also desirable to examine other local areas of the channel such as weld seams, for indications of corrosion. Therefore it is an object of the invention to remotely and nondestructively measure formation of corrosion on a radioactive component. It is another object of the invention to provide a corrosion thickness sensing means which readily and remotely can be positioned over a selected area of a radioactive component. Equipment is commercially available which uses an eddy-current technique for indicating the distance between a transducer and a conductive surface. The transducer includes a coil which is energized by a high frequency current. Magnetic flux from the coil produces eddy currents in the conductive surface. Thus the power or energy supplied by the coil to produce the eddy currents is also proportional to the distance between the transducer and the conductive surface. This displacement dependent variation in power is detected by suitable electronic circuitry and converted to a calibrated display or recording of the distance between the transducer and the conductive surface. Thus such a device can be used to measure the thickness of a nonconductive coating on a metal. It is another object of the invention to utilize an eddy-current technique to remotely measure thickness of corrosion on the surface of radioactive components. SUMMARY These and other objects of the invention are achieved by a transducer containing probe, suspended at the end of a manually manipulatable pole, which can be visually positioned over selected areas of a radioactive component submerged to a suitable depth in shielding water. The probe comprises a body portion formed of a transparent material and having the general shape of a frustum of a cone, the transducer being resiliently supported in a central bore of this body portion. Since the body portion transmits light and refracts light at its conical surface, the operator can, in effect, see through and beneath the probe to position the transducer over the desired local area of the component being examined. In the illustrated embodiment, the body is surrounded by a ring of metal of sufficient weight to provide a desired force of the resiliently mounted transducer against the surface under examination.


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