Development of Fuel Channel Inspection System in PHWR

A pressurized heavy water reactor (PHWR) designed to refuel in service produces the energy required by nuclear fission. The fuel channel consists of components such as a pressure tube which directly contacts the fuel and is a passage for the reactor coolant, a calandria tube which contacts the moderator and is rolled joint with calandria, and a spacer which is not to contact the pressure tube and a calandria tube. As the fuel channel is one of the most important equipments, it requires accurate and periodic inspections to assess the integrity of a reactor in accordance with CSA N285.4. A fuel channel inspection system is developed to inspect fuel channels during in-service inspection in Wolsong unit. In this paper, the results and considerations of a field test are presented in order to show the effectiveness of the developed fuel channel inspection system.