Method for imaging a nuclear reactor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10319484-B1
Application number	US-201514709942-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	May 12, 2015
Priority date	Nov 17, 2011
Publication date	Jun 11, 2019
Grant date	Jun 11, 2019

Abstract

A method of creating a computer-generated model of a portion of a nuclear reactor that is positioned between an emitter and a detector of an imaging device. The method includes transmitting energy by the detector emitter toward the containment vessel; receiving at the detector at least a portion of the energy transmitted by the emitter, the at least a portion of the energy being attenuated by a tracing agent in a tube sheet or scattered by the tubesheet of the nuclear reactor within the containment vessel; and creating a computer-generated model of the tubesheet based on the at least a portion of the energy received at the detector, the computer-generated model comprising one or more 3D images of the tubesheet.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method for imaging a portion of a nuclear reactor module that comprises a tubesheet within a containment vessel that is positioned between an emitter and a detector of an imaging device, where the tubesheet of the nuclear reactor module is filled with a tracing agent that comprises an energy absorbing fluid, the method comprising:
transmitting, at a first time, energy by the emitter toward the containment vessel and the tubesheet;
receiving, at the detector, at least a portion of the energy transmitted by the emitter, the at least a portion of the energy comprising a first amount of energy attenuated by the tracing agent and a second amount of energy scattered by the tubesheet of the nuclear reactor module within the containment vessel; and
creating a computer-generated model of the first tubesheet based on the at least a portion of the energy received at the detector, the computer-generated model comprising one or more 3D images of the tubesheet.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the tubesheet comprises a first tubesheet and the tracing agent comprises a first tracing agent, and the portion of the nuclear reactor module comprises a second tubesheet within the containment vessel, the second tubesheet filled with a second tracing agent that comprises the energy absorbing fluid, the method further comprising:
transmitting additional energy by the emitter toward the containment vessel and the second tubesheet; and
receiving, at the detector, at least a portion of the additional energy transmitted by the emitter, the at least a portion of the additional energy comprising a first amount of additional energy attenuated by the second tracing agent and a second amount of additional energy scattered by the second tubesheet of the nuclear reactor module within the containment vessel,
wherein the computer-generated model further comprises one or more 3D images of the second tubesheet.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the first tubesheet comprises a first tubesheet layer and the second tubesheet comprises a second tubesheet layer.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
repeating, at a second time subsequent to the first time, the steps of transmitting, receiving, and creating; and
comparing the computer-generated model from the first time with the computer-generated model from the second time.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the first time is prior to shipment of the portion of the nuclear reactor module.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein the second time is after shipment of the portion of the nuclear reactor module and after the beginning of operation of the nuclear reactor module.

7. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:
determining, based on the step of comparing, that a physical characteristic of the first tubesheet has changed between the first time and the second time.

8. The method of claim 4 , wherein the step of comparing further comprises:
comparing a first relative location of the first tubesheet from the computer-generated model from the first time with a second relative location of the first tubesheet from the computer-generated model from the second time; and
determining, based on comparing the first relative location to the second relative location, that a location of the first tubesheet has changed from the first time to the second time.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising comparing the computer-generated model with a known set of values.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the known set of values comprise as-built design data of the portion of the nuclear reactor module.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the energy absorbing fluid comprises xenon.

12. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
repeating, at a second time subsequent to the first time, the steps of transmitting, receiving, and creating; and
comparing the computer-generated model from the first time with the computer-generated model from the second time.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the first time is prior to shipment of the portion of the nuclear reactor module.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the second time is after shipment of the portion of the nuclear reactor module and after the beginning of operation of the nuclear reactor module.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
determining, based on the step of comparing, that a physical characteristic of the first tubesheet has changed between the first time and the second time.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the physical characteristic of the first tubesheet comprises a relative location of the first tubesheet.

17. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
comparing the computer-generated model with a known set of values.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the known set of values comprise as-built design data of the portion of the nuclear reactor module.

Assignees

• Nuscale Power Llc

Inventors

• Reyes Jr José N

Classifications

• G06T7/0008

  checking presence/absence · CPC title

• G21C17/003 Primary

  Remote inspection of vessels, e.g. pressure vessels · CPC title

• G06T7/001

  using an image reference approach · CPC title

• G21D1/006

  primary side of steam generators (secondary side of steam generators F22B1/00, F22B35/00 or F22B37/00) · CPC title

• G21C17/00

  Monitoring; Testing (measuring in general G01); {Maintaining} · CPC title