Integrated Ultrasonic Inspection Technology to Meet The Requirements of CANDU Steam Generator

Abstract

For over a decade, ultrasonic (UT) inspection techniques with TRUSTIE* have been providing inspection capability that can assess the severity of flaws in Steam Generator (SG) tubes, and accurately monitor their growth. TRUSTIE, a high-resolution ultrasonic imaging system specialized for small diameter tube inspection, plays an important role in CANDU Steam Generator life cycle management. The increasing demand for production-oriented outage management strategies is focused on shortening outage windows. Advanced technologies in the areas of data analysis, multi-element probes, high torque servo systems, and integrated fibre-optic cable networks are being integrated into the existing TRUSTIE system to meet the new and challenging inspection requirements. This paper presents an overview of the advanced technical developments and enhancements that are currently underway and being implemented for SG tube UT inspections in CANDU nuclear power plants.