US 2026/0276591 A1Published application

Eddy current devices and methods for fuel channel inspection

AssigneeOntario Power Generation Inc.

InventorsRay TEN GROTENHUIS, Yadav VERMA, Purba SARKAR, Shawn WOOD, Andres VILLEGAS, Andrew HONG

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Abstract

Devices and methods for eddy current inspection of fuel channels. An eddy current inspection device includes an array of eddy current sensors positioned around the outer circumference of a non-rotating section. The device is inserted into the interior of a pressure tube, the active coils of the eddy current sensors are driven in an activation pattern, and data is collected from the reference coils of the eddy current sensors in a collection pattern. The relative placement of the eddy current sensors, the relative placement of the active and reference coils of each eddy current sensor, the activation pattern, and the collection pattern may be configured to mitigate cross-talk and/or maximize sensor coverage of pressure tube regions in between adjacent eddy current sensors.

Claims23

Dependent claims

A device for inspecting a metal conduit, comprising:

a body configured to be inserted into an interior cavity of a pressure tube of the fuel channel along an axial dimension of the pressure tube;
a plurality of eddy current sensors, each respective eddy current sensor being affixed to the body at a respective circumferential position about a perimeter of the body and comprising:
an active coil oriented to induce an eddy current in a respective activation circumferential portion of an interior surface of the pressure tube;
and
one or more reference coils, each oriented to measure a magnetic field with respect to a respective reference circumferential portion of the pressure tube;
and
control circuitry configured to activate the active coils according to an activation pattern such that each respective active coil induces an eddy current at each of a plurality of axial locations of the respective activation circumferential portion of the pressure tube;
and
data collection circuitry configured to collect magnetic field data from the reference coils according to a collection pattern such that magnetic field data is collected from each respective reference coil with respect to each of a plurality of axial locations of the respective reference circumferential portion of the pressure tube.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.