AUTOMATED INSIDE REACTOR INSPECTION SYSTEM

• US 20130266109A1
• Filed: 04/06/2012
• Published: 10/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IIA Nuclear Services Incorporated (IHI Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Ihi Southwest Technologies Inc. (IHI Corporation)
• Inventors: Olsen, Skyler Kevin, Lagosz-Sinclair, Benjamin J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,058,905 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 376/249
• CPC Class Codes: G21C 17/01 Inspection of the inner surfaces of vessels
• CPC Class Codes: G21C 17/013 Inspection vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 30/30 Nuclear fission reactors

Abstract

An apparatus and method for maintaining contact between a pod of transducers and an inner surface of a reactor pressure vessel filled with water of a nuclear power plant is described. An underwater carriage carries the pod of transducers each of which is independently movable and are constantly urged against the surface of the vessel during inspection. Each transducer is independently pivotable about two axes. Each transducer emits and receives signals to detect any flaws of potential problems in the reactor pressure vessel.

Claims

1. An apparatus for attaching a pod of transducers to a carriage moveable along an inside surface of a vessel filled with a fluid, said transducers emitting and/or receiving signals to inspect said vessel for flaws or defects therein, said apparatus comprising:

a support rail mounted on an edge of said carriage;

a pair of slides moveable along said support rail;

a mounting bracket pivotally attached on a rear end thereof between said pair of slides;

main pivot bracket pivotally attached to a front end of said mounting bracket;

said pod of transducers being mounted to said main pivot bracket; and

a pod spring for urging said transducers against said inside surface.

2. The apparatus for attaching the pod of transducers to the carriage moveable along the inside surface of the vessel as recited in claim 1 wherein each of said transducers has a separate transducer bracket, said transducers being pivotally connected to said separate transducer brackets.

3. The apparatus for attaching the pod of transducers to the carriage moveable along the inside surface of the vessel as recited in claim 2 wherein each of said transducers have independent pivotal movement along at least two axis.

4. The apparatus for attaching the pod of transducers to the carriage moveable along the inside surface of the vessel as recited in claim 3 wherein said separate transducer brackets are pivotally attached to said main pivot bracket.

5. The apparatus for attaching the pod of transducers to the carriage moveable along the inside surface of the vessel as recited in claim 4 wherein said main pivot bracket has a transducer center rod extending there through and generally parallel to said support rail, said separate transducer brackets being pivotally attached to said transducer center rod, said separate transducer brackets having transducer springs for urging contact by said transducers with said inside surface.

6. The apparatus for attaching the pod of transducers to the carriage moveable along the inside surface of the vessel as recited in claim 4 wherein a side transducer bracket is pivotally attached with said main pivot bracket to said front end of said mounting bracket, side transducers being pivotally attached to said side transducer bracket, front and rear transducers being pivotally attached to said main pivot bracket.

7. The apparatus for attaching the pod of transducers to the carriage moveable along the inside surface of the vessel as recited in claim 1 wherein said support rail has a left offset beyond said edge of said carriage and said mounting bracket has a left offset.

8. The apparatus for attaching the pod of transducers to the carriage moveable along the inside surface of the vessel as recited in claim 1 wherein said support rail has a right offset beyond said edge of said carriage and said mounting bracket has a right offset.

9. The apparatus for attaching the pod of transducers to the carriage moveable along the inside surface of the vessel as recited in claims 7 and 8 wherein said support rail and said mounting bracket may be changed to provide either said left offset or said right offset.

10. The apparatus for attaching the pod of transducers to the carriage moveable along the inside surface of the vessel as recited in claim 9 wherein each of said transducers are pivoted about at least two axis to help maintain contact with said inside surface.

11. A method of urging contact by individual transducers in a pod mounted on a carriage moveable along an inside surface of a vessel filled with a liquid, said transducers emitting and/or receiving signals to inspect said vessel for flaws or defects therein, said method including the following steps:

first mounting of a support rail on edge of said carriage;

attaching a pair of slides to said support rail for slidable movement along said support rail;

first pivotal attachment of a mounting bracket on a rear end thereof between said pair of said slides;

second pivotal attachment of a main pivot bracket to a front end of said mounting bracket;

second mounting of said transducers to said main pivot bracket; and

urging said pod of said transducers against said inside surface of said vessel with a pod spring.

12. The method of urging contact by individual transducers in the pod mounted on the carriage movable along the inside surface of the vessel filled with fluid as recited in claim 11 includes individual transducer brackets for each of said transducers, a third pivotal attachment attaching each of said transducers to said individual transducer brackets.

13. The method of urging contact by individual transducers in the pod mounted on the carriage movable along the inside surface of the vessel filled with fluid as recited in claim 12 wherein each of said transducers has at least two different axis of pivotal movement.

14. The method of urging contact by individual transducers in the pod mounted on the carriage movable along the inside surface of the vessel filled with fluid as recited in claim 13 wherein a transducer center rail is generally parallel to said support rail and secured to said main pivot bracket, said transducers being pivotal about an elongated axis of said transducer center rod.

15. The method of urging contact by individual transducers in the pod mounted on the carriage movable along the inside surface of the vessel filled with fluid as recited in claim 14 wherein springs urge said pod and each of said transducers against said inside surface.

16. The method of urging contact by individual transducers in the pod mounted on the carriage movable along the inside surface of the vessel filled with fluid as recited in claim 13 wherein a side transducer bracket has a third pivotal attachment to said front end of said mounting bracket, side transducers being pivotally attached to said main pivot bracket.

17. The method of urging contact by individual transducers in the pod mounted on the carriage movable along the inside surface of the vessel filled with fluid as recited in claim 14 or 16 includes the step of offsetting said support rail and said mounting bracket to one side of said carriage.

18. The method of urging contact by individual transducers in the pod mounted on the carriage movable along the inside surface of the vessel filled with fluid as recited in claim 17 includes the step of alternating said offsetting from a left side to a right side, or vice-versa, so that a maximum area of said inside surface of said vessel may be inspected.