METHOD FOR NON-DESTRUCTIVE INSPECTION FOR DEGREE OF DAMAGE OF METAL CONTAINERS Russian patent published in 2017 - IPC G01N29/04 

FIELD: nuclear energy.

SUBSTANCE: invention can be used for a nondestructive inspection for the degree of damage of metal containers with spent nuclear fuel. Core of the invention is that onto the surface of the container installed are ultrasound radiators and signal receivers in equal proportions, which generate rectangular pulses with appropriate width, length and frequency. Measured is initial speed of US signals propagation in a non-uniform medium to calculate the value of sensors displacement along the container wall and across it. Matrix of signals coming from all the receivers is formed. With the help of the matrix a scan sector is created with the ultrasonic wave travel time from each sensor to each point of the volume with due allowance for conversion of ultrasonic waves at their reflection and refraction at the media interfaces. Obtained signals by a computer program are formed into sector images. Then the sector images are formed into a composite V-image, basing on which a volume model of the defect from different measurement points is created. As per the change of the volume image over time the container wall degradation is determined.

EFFECT: technical result is creation of a portable method of measuring the degree of damage of metal containers with the inspection results quality exceeding refinement achieved by radiographic inspection.

1 cl, 2 tbl, 9 dwg