# US 10,319,484 B1 · Method for imaging a nuclear reactor > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,319,484 B1 - Document ID: US10319484B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 14/709,942 - Filed: 2015-05-12 - Granted: 2019-06-11 - Earliest claimed: 2011-11-17 - Assignees: NuScale Power, LLC - Applicants: NuScale Power, LLC - Inventors: José N. Reyes, Jr. - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10319484B1 ## CPC - G21C 17/003: Remote inspection of vessels, e.g. pressure vessels - G21C 17/00: Monitoring; Testing (measuring in general G01); {Maintaining} - G21D 1/006: {primary side of steam generators (secondary side of steam generators F22B1/00, F22B35/00 or F22B37/00)} - Y02E 30/00: Energy generation of nuclear origin - Y02E 30/30: Nuclear fission reactors - G21C: NUCLEAR REACTORS (fusion reactors, hybrid fission-fusion reactors G21B; nuclear explosives G21J) - G21D: NUCLEAR POWER PLANT - Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION ## Abstract A method of creating a computer-generated model of a portion of a nuclear reactor that is positioned between an emitter and a detector of an imaging device. The method includes transmitting energy by the detector emitter toward the containment vessel; receiving at the detector at least a portion of the energy transmitted by the emitter, the at least a portion of the energy being attenuated by a tracing agent in a tube sheet or scattered by the tubesheet of the nuclear reactor within the containment vessel; and creating a computer-generated model of the tubesheet based on the at least a portion of the energy received at the detector, the computer-generated model comprising one or more 3D images of the tubesheet. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A computer-implemented method for imaging a portion of a nuclear reactor module that comprises a tubesheet within a containment vessel that is positioned between an emitter and a detector of an imaging device, where the tubesheet of the nuclear reactor module is filled with a tracing agent that comprises an energy absorbing fluid, the method comprising: transmitting, at a first time, energy by the emitter toward the containment vessel and the tubesheet; receiving, at the detector, at least a portion of the energy transmitted by the emitter, the at least a portion of the energy comprising a first amount of energy attenuated by the tracing agent and a second amount of energy scattered by the tubesheet of the nuclear reactor module within the containment vessel; and creating a computer-generated model of the first tubesheet based on the at least a portion of the energy received at the detector, the computer-generated model comprising one or more 3D images of the tubesheet. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the tubesheet comprises a first tubesheet and the tracing agent comprises a first tracing agent, and the portion of the nuclear reactor module comprises a second tubesheet within the containment vessel, the second tubesheet filled with a second tracing agent that comprises the energy absorbing fluid, the method further comprising: transmitting additional energy by the emitter toward the containment vessel and the second tubesheet; and receiving, at the detector, at least a portion of the additional energy transmitted by the emitter, the at least a portion of the additional energy comprising a first amount of additional energy attenuated by the second tracing agent and a second amount of additional energy scattered by the second tubesheet of the nuclear reactor module within the containment vessel, wherein the computer-generated model further comprises one or more 3D images of the second tubesheet. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the first tubesheet comprises a first tubesheet layer and the second tubesheet comprises a second tubesheet layer. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: repeating, at a second time subsequent to the first time, the steps of transmitting, receiving, and creating; and comparing the computer-generated model from the first time with the computer-generated model from the second time. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein the first time is prior to shipment of the portion of the nuclear reactor module. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein the second time is after shipment of the portion of the nuclear reactor module and after the beginning of operation of the nuclear reactor module. ### Claim 7 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, further comprising: determining, based on the step of comparing, that a physical characteristic of the first tubesheet has changed between the first time and the second time. ### Claim 8 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein the step of comparing further comprises: comparing a first relative location of the first tubesheet from the computer-generated model from the first time with a second relative location of the first tubesheet from the computer-generated model from the second time; and determining, based on comparing the first relative location to the second relative location, that a location of the first tubesheet has changed from the first time to the second time. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising comparing the computer-generated model with a known set of values. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein the known set of values comprise as-built design data of the portion of the nuclear reactor module. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the energy absorbing fluid comprises xenon. ### Claim 12 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, further comprising: repeating, at a second time subsequent to the first time, the steps of transmitting, receiving, and creating; and comparing the computer-generated model from the first time with the computer-generated model from the second time. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the first time is prior to shipment of the portion of the nuclear reactor module. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the second time is after shipment of the portion of the nuclear reactor module and after the beginning of operation of the nuclear reactor module. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, further comprising: determining, based on the step of comparing, that a physical characteristic of the first tubesheet has changed between the first time and the second time. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the physical characteristic of the first tubesheet comprises a relative location of the first tubesheet. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, further comprising: comparing the computer-generated model with a known set of values. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein the known set of values comprise as-built design data of the portion of the nuclear reactor module.