# US 5,703,377 A · Apparatus for the inspection of cylindrical objects having a borescope device

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- Number: US 5,703,377 A
- Document ID: US5703377A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 08/576,035
- Filed: 1995-12-21
- Granted: 1997-12-30
- Earliest claimed: 1992-09-16
- Assignees: British Nuclear Fuels plc
- Inventors: Adam Kenneth Ainsworth; Reginald Paul Glenville; Iain Alan McLean
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5703377A

## CPC

- G01N 21/952: Inspecting the exterior surface of cylindrical bodies or wires (G01N21/956 takes precedence)
- G21C 17/06: Devices or arrangements for monitoring or testing fuel or fuel elements outside the reactor core, e.g. for burn-up, for contamination (G21C17/08, G21C17/10 take precedence; detecting leaking fuel elements during reactor operation G21C17/04)
- Y02E 30/30: Nuclear fission reactors
- G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q)
- G21C: NUCLEAR REACTORS (fusion reactors, hybrid fission-fusion reactors G21B; nuclear explosives G21J)
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION

## Abstract

Apparatus for the inspection of the end surface of a cylindrical object including a device for irradiating the end surface of the object, a detector for detecting radiation reflected by the end surface substantially parallel to the axis of the object and a calculator for calculating the proportion of the end surface which has reflected radiation directly to the detector device, wherein the means for irradiating comprises a ring source the center of the ring being substantially co-incident with the axis of the object and being substantially transparent to reflected radiation so that light reflected to the detector passes unhindered through the ring, the ring source having associated therewith a device permitting substantially uniform irradiation across the said end surface.

## Claims

### Claim 1

Apparatus for the inspection of the end surface of a cylindrical object including means for irradiating the end surface of the object, detector means for detecting radiation reflected by the end surface substantially parallel to the axis of the object and calculator means for calculating the proportion of the end surface which has reflected radiation directly to the detector means, wherein the means for irradiating comprises a ring source the center of the ring being substantially co-incident with the axis of the object and being substantially transparent to reflected radiation so that light reflected to the detector means passes unhindered through the ring, the ring source having associated therewith means permitting substantially uniform irradiation across said end surface, wherein the means for irradiating further comprises a borescope device having a probe or stem with fiber-optic ring provided at the end of the probe.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

Apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the detector means comprises a tv camera fitted into the borescope device at the end remote from the probe.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

Apparatus as in claim 1 wherein in use, light for delivering to the ring via the borescope device is arranged to be passed to the borescope device by a fiber optic light guide cable, the control and processing unit for the tv camera and the light source providing light to the borescope being located remotely outside a radiation stable structure.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

Apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the objects inspected by the apparatus are nuclear fuel pellets.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

Apparatus as in claim 4 wherein the objects are MOX nuclear fuel pellets, the conveyance and inspection of such pellets being a radiation stable structure which protects the outside environment.