Benefits at a glance
Easy access thanks to the 45mm diameter of the Visioprobe radiation tolerant camera and its mobility tools
Easy deployment of the Visioprobe solution and rapid inspection: limited risk of radiation exposure
Fast and easy inspection : nuclear power plant downtime and associated costs greatly reduced
Customer needs
Steam Generators, be it for Nuclear plants or any type of Energy plants, are a key component of the plant output and energy production. They need to be checked on a very regular basis to make sure the performance of the plant is kept at its highest level. One standard inspection consists in the Foreign Object Detection (FoD) in-between exchanger tubes imposing several challenges: being able to access via a small (60mm) entry point, to perform the inspection along up to 3 meters of tubes and to keep radiation exposure as low as possible.
Inside the generator, several inspections are necessary to guarantee the safety of the nuclear plant:
- Search for leaks or cracks caused by corrosion or wear
- Assessment of corrosion caused by high temperature and pressure conditions
- Detection of deposits and obstructions
- Structural integrity verification
Inspection of the tube plate holding the steam generator tubes is made difficult by the 60 mm punching hole access and 3-meter distance. It requires advanced inspection techniques such as endoscopy, radiography, ultrasound or tomography, calling for specialized skills and sophisticated equipment. The inspection must be carried out as quickly as possible, to limit radiation exposure time.
The solution : Visioprobe inspection camera
- Visioprobe radiation tolerant camera
- Pan & Tilt 45mm camera with focus
- Control Unit
- Fiber carbon telescopic pole
Access conditions and defects sought make remote visual inspection an ideal solution. Compact and lightweight, the 45mm diameter Visioprobe pan&tilt radiation tolerant camera mounted on a telescopic push pole is the ideal tool for this type of inspection. The pole is quickly inserted and deployed in the steam generator for direct visual access.
The Visioprobe radiation tolerant camera, extremely compact and light, when mounted on fiber cabon telescopic pole, is the perfect tool for this inspection. Made of stainless steel, the radiation tolerant camera offers exceptional resistance to corrosion and radiation, as well as mechanical stability even at high temperatures. It complies with strict nuclear standards and is easy to maintain.The pole is inserted and deployed rapidly in the heat exchanger. It keeps its rigidity even with the long distance and the inspection can be performed smoothly with close to zero uncontrolled movement of the camera. The radiation tolerant camera remains rigid even over long distances to ensure smooth inspection and avoid uncontrolled camera movements allowing the operator to easily detect cracks, deposits, corrosion or any other anomaly in the video image that could compromise the safety and performance of the nuclear steam generator. Remote visual inspection of the tube plate is easy to set up. The speed of inspection and the mobility of the global solution including control unit mean that radiation exposure is limited. Corresponding equipment can be used whether by internal or external staff.
/// Rapid and consistent inspection with high image quality
/// Operator is at ease even though there is very little space to move around and the operation duration
/// Radiation exposure kept as low as possible
/// Made of stainless steel offering exceptional resistance to corrosion and radiation
The Visioprobe guarantees fast, high-performance inspection of tube sheets and plate, with high-quality images. The camera and its mobility tools (telescopic push pole in this case), put the operator in a comfortable position for inspection. As the duration of the operation is optimized, exposition to radiation is reduced to a minimum. The Visioprobe radiation tolerant camera is particularly well-suited for inspection of nuclear steam generators, as well as vessels and networks in primary and secondary circuits, reactor anchorages and covers.