Fuel inspection techniques

Poolside fuel inspections are performed to measure fuel performance characteristics such as corrosion, rod growth, assembly growth, rod bow, and cladding creep. These inspections address the performance of intact fuel assemblies and individual removed fuel rods. Poolside inspections are also used to identify the cause of leaking fuel rods once they have been identified as leaking by sipping, ultrasonic or eddy current testing. Various inspections, such as fuel rod visuals, fiberscope of grid cells, profilometry, and cell sizing can be performed to identify the root cause of leaking rods. These examinations provide high quality data safely and reliably with minimal plant impact. (author)