Method and apparatus for inspecting a fuel assembly

Apparatus for remotely inspecting a nuclear fuel assembly stored in a cell within a rack in a lower portion of a spent fuel pool, the apparatus comprising:

• a camera configured to be supported within the spent fuel pool above the rack and focused above the cell in which the nuclear fuel assembly is stored, the camera having an output representative of an image in view of the camera, which is transmitted to a location outside the spent fuel pool;
• a fuel assembly handling tool configured to move fuel assemblies into and out of respective cells within the rack from above the spent fuel pool and moves the fuel assembly vertically relative to the camera so the camera vertically scans the fuel assembly, the fuel assembly handling tool having a connector that attaches to the fuel assembly;
• a pressure transducer attached to the fuel assembly handling tool at a fixed distance above the connector and below a point on the fuel assembly handling tool that will remain submerged within the spent fuel pool when the fuel assembly handling tool raises the fuel assembly substantially completely out of the rack, the pressure transducer having an output representative of the depth within the spent fuel pool at the pressure transducer elevation, which pressure transducer output is transmitted to the location outside of the spent fuel pool;
• and
• a processing apparatus at the location outside of the spent fuel pool, the processing apparatus is configured to receive the camera output and pressure transducer output, correlate the pressure transducer output to an elevation of the image on the fuel assembly and display a representation of the fuel assembly at the location outside of the spent fuel pool, with the image superimposed on the representation at the elevation.

A method of remotely, vertically scanning an object immersed in a liquid comprising the steps of:

• positioning a sensor within the liquid in view of a portion of the object to be scanned, the sensor having an output of an image of the portion of the object at a given elevation on the object that is transmitted to a remote location;
• attaching a pressure transducer to one of the object or the sensor at a known elevation from the portion of the object to be scanned, the pressure transducer having an output representative of the pressure at an elevation in the liquid of the pressure transducer that is transmitted to the remote location;
• vertically moving the one of the object or the sensor so the sensor vertically scans the object;
• correlating the pressure transducer output to the given elevation of the image on the object;
• and
• displaying a representation of the object at the remote location, with the image superimposed on the representation at the given elevation.