NDT techniques and systems for the Nuclear Electric Magnox reactor pressure vessel inspections

Nuclear Electric have recently carried out in-service inspection of some of their Magnox steel pressure vessels using specially designed manipulators to overcome severe access problems. The ultrasonic technique designs for the inspection utilise conventional pulse-echo methods and have been justified by a combination of mathematical modelling and test block validation. This paper gives a summary of the NDT aspects of the Nuclear Electric Magnox reactor pressure vessels inspection programme. It covers the ultrasonic techniques, equipment and procedures which have been used, the work carried out to justify the capability of the inspections and finally the results of the inspections. (author)