Patent Number: 
Section: claims

1. Method for controlling an exterior aspect of fuel rods (2) for nuclear reactors, each of the fuel rods (2) having an end cap with a truncated surface, comprising the following steps:providing optical means (40) comprising a plurality of primary cameras (42) and a plurality of secondary cameras (42′);inclining said secondary cameras with respect to said primary cameras in order to be able to scan the truncated surface (68) of the end cap (6) of each of the fuel rods (2) to be controlled;providing an electronic and computer assembly (30);linking the plurality of primary cameras (42) and the plurality of secondary cameras (42′) to the electronic and computer assembly (30);acquiring an image of the fuel rods (2) with at least one of the plurality of primary cameras (42) and the plurality of secondary cameras (42′);delivering the image of the fuel rods (2) to the electronic and computer assembly (30);processing the image using the electronic and computer assembly (30);automatically detecting geometric defects present on each rod (2) to be controlled, with the electronic and computer assembly (30);providing a roughness tester (50);automatically controlling the roughness tester (50); andautomatically measuring a depth of each geometric defect detected during the detecting geometric defects steps, with the aid of the roughness tester (50). 2. Method for controlling the exterior aspect according to claim 1, wherein for each rod (2), the geometric defect detection step comprises a scanning operation of the exterior surface (2a) of said rod (2) with the aid of the optical means (40), the scanning operation being carried out by means of a plurality of displacements of the optical means (40) along the whole rod (2) concerned, each displacement being carried out for a given angular position of said rod (2). 3. Method for controlling the exterior aspect according to claim 2, wherein during the scanning operation of the exterior surface (2a) of a rod (2), the optical means (40) deliver a plurality of images to the electronic and computer assembly (30), each image delivered from the rod (2) being associated with an address indicating an angular position of said rod (2) and a position of a trolley (28) on which are mounted the optical means (40), in relation to a displacement stand (8). 4. Method for controlling the exterior aspect according to claim 3, wherein when at least one geometric defect has been detected on a rod (2) by the electronic and computer assembly (30), a displacement of the roughness tester (50) is carried out, thanks to addresses associated with the images delivered by the optical means (40), in such a way that it can measure the depth of each geometric defect detected. 5. Method for controlling the exterior aspect according to claim 1, wherein the measurement of the depth of each geometric defect detected is carried out by bringing closer the roughness tester (50) to the rod (2) concerned. 6. Method for controlling the exterior aspect according to claim 2, wherein said primary (42) and secondary (42′) cameras being cameras with a charge coupled device, and each simultaneously scanning at least two adjacent fuel rods (2). 7. Method for controlling the exterior aspect according to claim 1, further comprising an operation of detecting cleanliness defects present on each fuel rod (2) to be controlled, the operation being capable of being carried out by means of diode detectors (56) and lighting ramps (54). 8. Method for controlling the exterior aspect according to claim 1, comprising a step of delivering, for each rod (2) controlled, a result file of the control carried out.