Patent Number: 
Section: claims

1. A method of inspecting a pressure vessel having a shell extending between an inner surface and an outer surface and a penetration extending through the shell from the inner surface to the outer surface, comprising the steps of:passing an eddy current probe through a penetration tube installed in the penetration with a clearance fit and welded at the inner surface of the pressure vessel;inducing eddy currents in the pressure vessel as the probe passes through the penetration tube; anddetermining the degradation of the pressure vessel shell in the region adjacent the penetration tube based upon eddy currents induced in the pressure vessel by the probe. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the probe introduces eddy currents into the pressure vessel while it passes from either the inner or outer surface of the pressure vessel to the other surface of the pressure vessel. 3. The method of claim 2, wherein the pressure vessel is inspected in one pass of the probe through the penetration. 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the eddy currents are induced in the pressure vessel by at least one circumferential coil. 5. The method of claim 4, wherein the eddy currents are induced in the pressure vessel by a pair of circumferential coils. 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the probe also has a multiple array of eddy current coils, comprising the step of:inspecting the penetration tube with the multiple array of eddy current coils. 7. The method of claim 6, wherein the pressure vessel and the penetration tube are inspected in one pass of the probe through the penetration. 8. The method of claim 1, including the step of:inspecting the weld with an array of eddy current coils. 9. The method of claim 8, wherein the array of eddy current coils is rotated to inspect the weld. 10. The method of claim 9, wherein the weld is inspected in one 360° rotation of the array of eddy current coils. 11. The method of claim 10, wherein the pressure vessel and the penetration tube are inspected by one pass of the probe through the penetration from either the inner or outer surface of the pressure vessel to the other surface of the pressure vessel. 12. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining the degradation of the pressure vessel shell comprises determining the degradation across a gap of between 5 and 50 thousandths of an inch. 13. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of determining the degradation of the pressure vessel shell comprises determining the degradation across a gap of about 50 thousandths of an inch. 14. A method of inspecting a pressure vessel having an inner surface and an outer surface and a penetration extending therebetween, comprising the steps of:passing a first eddy current probe through a penetration tube installed in the penetration with a clearance fit and welded at the inner surface of the pressure vessel; andinspecting the entire thickness between the inner surface and the outer surface of the pressure vessel and the penetration tube in one pass of the first eddy current probe between the inner surface and the outer surface of the pressure vessel. 15. The method of claim 14, comprising the additional step of:inspecting the weld in one 360° rotation of a second eddy current probe.