Limitations of Eddy Current Testing in a Fast Reactor Environment.

The feasibility of using eddy current probes for detecting flaws in fast nuclear reactor structures has been investigated with the aim of detecting defects immersed in electrically conductive coolant including under liquid sodium during standby. For the inspections to be viable, there is a need to use an encapsulated sensor system that can be move into position with the aid of visualization tools. The initial objective being to locate the surface to be investigated using, for example, a combination of electromagnetic sensors and sonar. Here we focus on one feature of the task in which eddy current probe impedance variations due to interaction with the external surface of a tube are evaluated in order to monitor the probe location and orientation during inspection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]