Core verification and core height measurement

After each annual shutdown, the location and height of all fuel cartridges are verified when re-assembled in the reactor core. If the cartridge is not in the correct vertical position, combustion may not be optimal. Worst case, changed water flow could even lead to reduced cooling. Therefore, is the inspection of the core, the vertical and horizontal positions of the cartridges essential for the safety and function. And the inspection is always performed before the reactor is restarted.

Mabema offers Core 3D, allows extremely accurate measuring with great repeatability. Furthermore, the core reading is a parallel process, which saves considerable time.

Core 3D uses calibrated laser triangulation to determine relative height differences between cartridge handles and the core grid. The hardware consists of an underwater camera, a line laser, mechanics and cables. The equipment is mounted on a gripper on the charging machine, which is used to move the equipment across the entire fuel core.

Sensor unit

In our proprietary software, all fuel data is loaded, and the program automatically draws up the entire core. Approved cartridges are highlighted in green. Warnings are highlighted in yellow. Cartridges out of tolerance are highlighted in red. The movie below shows finding of a cartridge out of tolerance. Most of the core has already been controlled.