Inspection method and inspection device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9793016-B2
Application number	US-201414190996-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 26, 2014
Priority date	Feb 27, 2013
Publication date	Oct 17, 2017
Grant date	Oct 17, 2017

Abstract

There is provided an inspection device for inspecting an inner surface of a nozzle provided in a reactor vessel. The inspection device includes: a device frame, an inspection unit provided on the device frame, an inspection unit push-out moving mechanism for pushing out and moving the inspection unit to the inner surface of the nozzle, a rotation moving mechanism for rotating and moving the inspection unit, a calibration test unit arranged on the device frame for calibrating the inspection unit; and a calibration test unit forward/backward moving mechanism for moving the calibration test unit forward or backward in the direction along the central axis with regard to a track where the inspection unit makes push-out movement.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An inspection method for inspecting a body, which is to be inspected, the body being provided in a nuclear power plant,
the inspection method comprising:
arranging an inspection device having an inspection unit and a calibration test unit at a reference position where the body which is to be inspected is inspected;
subsequently moving the calibration test unit, while placing the inspection unit at the reference position, forward or backward with regard to a track where the inspection unit makes push-out movement to the inspection target portion of the body which is to be inspected, and calibrating the inspection unit after moving the calibration test unit forward or backward;
subsequently moving the calibration test unit from the track while placing the inspection unit at the reference position; and
subsequently causing the inspection unit to inspect the inspection target portion,
wherein after moving the calibration test unit forward or backward while placing the inspection unit at the reference position, calibrating the inspection unit by making the inspection unit the push-out movement so as to contact the inspection unit with the calibration test unit, and by rotating the inspection unit contacted with the calibration test unit.

2. The inspection method according to claim 1 , wherein
inspecting the body by using the inspection device,
the inspection device includes
a device frame installed at the reference position for inspecting the body;
the inspection unit provided on the device frame, for inspecting the inspection target portion of the body;
an inspection unit push-out moving mechanism for pushing out and moving the inspection unit to the inspection target portion while the device frame is installed at the reference position;
the calibration test unit provided on the device frame, for calibrating the inspection unit; and
a calibration test unit forward/backward moving mechanism for moving the calibration test unit forward or backward with regard to a track where the inspection unit makes push-out movement in such a state that the inspection unit is installed at the reference position,
the inspection unit includes a flaw detection sensor that comes into contact with the inner surface of the nozzle and performs flaw detection and an image-capturing sensor for capturing an image of the inner surface of the nozzle, which are arranged in a row along the central axis, and
the calibration test unit includes:
a calibration test piece for the flaw detection sensor for calibrating the flaw detection sensor and
a calibration test piece for the image-capturing sensor for calibrating the image-capturing sensor, which are arranged along the central axis in alignment with a position where the flaw detection sensor and the image-capturing sensor are arranged in a row.

3. An inspection method for inspecting an inner surface of a nozzle provided in a reactor vessel,
the inspection method comprising:
inserting an inspection device including an inspection unit and a calibration test unit into inside of the nozzle;
subsequently moving the calibration test unit, while placing the inspection unit at the reference position, forward or backward with regard to a track where the inspection unit makes push-out movement to the inner surface of the nozzle at a reference position where the inspection device is inserted into the inside of the nozzle, and calibrating the inspection unit after moving the calibration test unit forward or backward;
subsequently moving the calibration test unit from the track while placing the inspection unit at the reference position; and
subsequently causing the inspection unit to inspect the inner surface of the nozzle,
wherein after moving the calibration test unit forward or backward while placing the inspection unit at the reference position, calibrating the inspection unit by making the inspection unit the push-out movement so as to contact the inspection unit with the calibration test unit, and by rotating the inspection unit contacted with the calibration test unit.

4. The inspection method according to claim 3 , wherein,
contacting an internal abutment member of the inspection device at the reference position with the inner surface of the nozzle so as to align the inspection device with a central position of the inner surface of the nozzle,
subsequently adhering a suction unit of the inspection device to a wall surface around the nozzle so as to maintain a state that the inspection device is aligned with the central position of the inner surface of the nozzle.

5. The inspection method according to claim 3 further comprising, after the causing the inspection unit to inspect the inner surface of the nozzle, moving the calibration test unit forward or backward with regard to a track where the inspection unit makes push-out movement to the inner surface of the nozzle at the reference position and calibrating the inspection unit after the inspection.

6. The inspection method according to claim 3 , wherein
inspecting the inner surface of the nozzle by using the inspection device,
the inspection device includes
a device frame inserted into inside of the nozzle;
the inspection unit provided on the device frame, for inspecting the inner surface of the nozzle;
an inspection unit push-out moving mechanism for pushing out and moving the inspection unit to the inner surface of the nozzle while the device frame is installed in the inside of the nozzle;
a rotation moving mechanism for rotating and moving the inspection unit about a predetermined central axis along a peripheral direction of the nozzle while the device frame is installed in the inside of the nozzle;
the calibration test unit arranged on the device frame for calibrating the inspection unit; and
a calibration test unit forward/backward moving mechanism for moving the calibration test unit forward or backward in the direction along the central axis with regard to a track where the inspection unit makes push-out movement,
the inspection unit includes a flaw detection sensor that comes into contact with the inner surface of the nozzle and performs flaw detection and an image-capturing sensor for capturing an image of the inner surface of the nozzle, which are arranged in a row along the central axis, and
the calibration test unit includes:
a calibration test piece for the flaw detection sensor for calibrating the flaw detection sensor and
a calibration test piece for the image-capturing sensor for calibrating the image-capturing sensor, which are arranged along the central axis in alignment with a position where the flaw detection sensor and the image-capturing sensor are arranged in a row.

Assignees

• Mitsubishi Heavy Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Namba Kazushige
• Shichida Tomonori
• Kawase Naoto

Classifications

• G21C17/01

  Inspection of the inner surfaces of vessels · CPC title

• G21C17/017

  Inspection or maintenance of pipe-lines or tubes in nuclear installations · CPC title

• G21C17/013 Primary

  Inspection vehicles · CPC title

• Y02E30/30

  Nuclear fission reactors · CPC title