Keywords
Citation
(2000), "Phoenix designs new manipulator for Sizewell B", Anti-Corrosion Methods and Materials, Vol. 47 No. 6. https://doi.org/10.1108/acmm.2000.12847fab.008
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2000, MCB UP Limited
Phoenix designs new manipulator for Sizewell B
Phoenix designs new manipulator for Sizewell B
Keywords Phoenix Inspection Systems, Ultrasonic, Testing
Phoenix Inspection Systems – the ultrasonic testing specialists – have devised a new manipulator to carry out tests inside the reactor cooling pumps at Sizewell B.
Known as the SIM (stud inspection manipulator), the new device will be used to inspect the main steel bolts which secure the motor to the main coolant pump casing, to detect defects in the root area and shank. It is designed to operate remotely while the pump is still in use to minimise the amount of time an operator needs to spend inside this potentially hazardous environment.
Sizewell B is a pressure water reactor (PWR) with four main coolant pumps, which circulate water around the nuclear core before passing it through a heat exchanger to drive the steam turbines.
The flange bolts inside the pumps require testing every ten years, by inserting probes down a narrow central bore hole along their 39cm length. However, limited headroom makes access difficult.
Karl Quirk, managing director of Phoenix, explains: "The SIM is designed to be inserted into the pump through a small access door and operate efficiently within a very confined space. Safety was another major consideration – a feature such as snap connectors means that probes can be changed rapidly and the whole thing set up in seconds, so the operator can leave the area as soon as possible".
The SIM is described as small, light and easy to use and could be adapted for use in other industries – similar large bolts can be found in many types of turbine. At Sizewell B it will be employed in conjunction with British Energy Generation's MIPS systems, which has been developed by BEG's Structural Integrity Branch to provide a common platform for automated inspection at its plant.
Further details are available from Phoenix Inspection Systems. Tel: +44 (0) 1925 826000.