Methods and apparatus for inspecting reactor pressure tubes
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United States of America Patent
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Jul 21, 2009
Grant Date -
Oct 6, 2005
app pub date -
Nov 22, 2004
filing date -
Nov 28, 2003
priority date (Note) -
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Abstract
An apparatus and method for determining terminal solid solubility temperature in materials capable of forming hydrides, such as reactor pressure tubes. An inspection device is positioned within the reactor pressure tube under test and a pair of annular seals are radially deployed to seal a section of the pressure tube. Any water within the sealed section is displaced through the injection of gas and the heating of the sealed section to dry the tube and the device. A probe assembly on the device is deployed to contact the interior surface of the pressure tube and measure resistivity changes in the pressure tube wall as a function of temperature. The probe assembly includes a thermocouple probe for measuring temperature and transmit and receive coils for inducing eddy currents within the pressure tube wall. The pressure tube is allowed to cool at a predetermined rate, is reheated at a predetermined rate, and is allowed to cool again. Discontinuities within the temperature coefficient of resistivity indicate terminal solid solubility temperatures of precipitation or dissolution, which may be used to determine the hydrogen concentration of the sealed section of reactor pressure tube.
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