Page 45 - Nuclear Plant Journal Digital Edition: January - February 2013
Basic HTML Version
Nuclear Plant Journal, January-February 2013
45
Sensible - Cost-Effective - Convenient
Tool, Scaffold, & Metal Decon
Hot Equipment Offsite Storage
Licensed Transport Services
y
Offsite radioactive material
decontamination at eleven
facilities nationwide
y
Process to free release motors,
water tanks, drums, HVAC,
tools, scrap metal, and lead
y
Rad-controlled scaffold, tool,
and equipment storage
y
Nationwide truck fleet
USA Canada Germany UK The Netherlands
A subsidiary of UniFirst Corporation
(800) 344-3824
Precise,
automated
monitoring
for tube,
planks, and
clamps
High-pressure scaffold
decontamination
Tool/equipment
decontamination
Survey,
storage,
and
inventory
ISO 9001
ISO 14001
develop an asset management plan that
provides for proactive countermeasures
to prevent failures, helping to ensure
continuous service. To introduce the tool
to the unique nuclear environment, a blind
Performance Assessment was performed
at the Electric Power Research Institute
(EPRI) in April 2012.
The test mockup consisted of three
sections of 24-inch pipe. Two sections of
the test pipe were 40 feet long, and the
third was 60 feet long with a 90-degree
1.5 diameter elbow. In order to simulate
field conditions, the entire test pipe was
covered so that all of the testing was
completed blind.
Results from the testing in the three
24-inch pipe sections at EPRI showed the
following:
1. The tool is capable of propelling
itself through 1.5 diameter radius
bends.
2. The tool is consistent in recording
data from the pipe defects.
3. Ninety percent (90%) of all internal
and external defects were detected.
4. Defect sizing average accuracy was
greater than 80 percent of actual
defect depth.
Surveyor tools are available to
inspect pipe diameters from six to thirty
inches. The tool designs have been
proven through actual field applications in
Europe. Ultrasonic inspection technology
will be available from six-inch to 12-inch
diameters and Saturated Low Frequency
Eddy Current SLOFEC inspection
technology will be available from 12-
inch to 30-inch diameters.
Surveyor
©
has reduced the technology
gap and the need for costly, high risk
excavations. Additionally, inspection
data is used to assess the integrity of the
pipeline and develop an asset management
plan to address the utility’s buried assets.
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory
Commission
is
concerned
with
uncontrolled releases of even very low
levels of radionuclides. GE’s Surveyor
tool enables utilities to inspect buried
piping and proactively remediate
degraded piping before it leaks
Contact: Edward (Ed) Cooper,
GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy, email:
.
.
EPRI Performance Assessment, April 10-13, 2012.
