Patent ID: 6222897
Filing Date: 2001-04-24
Classification: G01N,G21C,Y02E

Abstract:
A method of inspecting piping and welds of a pipe elbow in a reactor pressure vessel of a boiling water reactor using a scan apparatus, the pipe elbow including a surface and the scan apparatus including a scan head having at least one transducer probe including an ultrasonic transducer, at least one transducer arm connected to the transducer probe, a scan platform having an arcuate cutout, a connector connecting the transducer arm to the scan platform, a pivot pin, a pivot arm connecting the scan head to the pivot pin, and a motor capable of moving the scan head axially along the pipe elbow, said method comprising the steps of:positioning the scan head and the transducer probe such that the ultrasonic transducer is substantially in contact with the pipe elbow surface;moving the scan head axially along the pipe elbow in a first direction from a first axial point to a second axial point by pivoting the scan head about the pivot pin while maintaining the ultrasonic transducer in substantial contact with the pipe elbow surface;moving the connector along the arcuate cut out in the scan platform to incrementally rotate the probes circumferentially around the pipe elbow;moving the scan head axially along the pipe elbow in a second direction from the second axial point to the first axial point by pivoting the scan head about the pivot pin while maintaining the ultrasonic transducer in substantial contact with the pipe elbow surface; andinspecting the piping and the welds in the pipe elbow to detect flaws.