Method for measuring the thickness of oxide layer underlying crud layer containing ferromagnetic material on nuclear fuel rods
US6366083B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 17, 1999 |
| Grant date | Apr 2, 2002 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 17, 2019 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY02E30/30
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A method for measuring the thickness of an oxide layer formed on the cladding surface of nuclear fuel rods and underlying a crud layer containing ferromagnetic material using eddy current lift-off measurements by exciting a probe coil at a first frequency which penetrates only into the crud layer and by exciting a probe coil at a second frequency which penetrates the crud layer, the oxide layer and into the cladding of a nuclear fuel rod. By subtracting vectorally the complex impedance resulting from exciting the probe coil at the first frequency from the complex impedance resulting from exciting the probe coil at the second frequency, the thickness of the oxide layer formed on the cladding is measured.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.