Patent Number: 041697588
Section: summary

This invention relates to apparatus for the detection of flaws in a nuclear reactor vessel and more particularly to apparatus wherein the interior surface of the vessel is scanned to detect defects in the walls of the vessel by one or more ultrasonic transducers remotely controlled to follow the contours of the various surfaces of the vessel. One object of the invention is to provide such an apparatus readily adapted to scan reactor vessels of various sizes and configurations. A further object of the invention is to provide such an apparatus wherein the scanning operation can be accomplished at relatively high speeds thereby minimizing the down time of the reactor. Still another object of the invention is to provide such an apparatus which is portable and can be moved from one reactor vessel to another. A further object of the invention is to provide such an apparatus capable of examining the entire reactor vessel by means of a single articulated scanning head. Still another object of the invention is to provide such an apparatus which may be calibrated in real time before, after or at specified intervals during the scanning operation. A further object of the invention is to provide such an apparatus whereby visual examination, by means of closed circuit television, of the internal surfaces of the reactor vessel may be made.