Single fuel rod examinations for improved understanding of irradiated fuel

In an operation nuclear reactor, some fuel rods may lose their integrity due to various causes. After the fuel assemblies have been unloaded from the core leading fuel rods identified and pulled out, the cause of the failure is investigated by the Single Rod Examination Equipment Package, developed by Fragema and which includes: - fuel rod leak detection by individual sipping cell, - clad examination by eddy current, - clad detailed visual examination using a high definition TV camera. These examinations make it possible to understand the causes of the fuel rod defects more fully, enabling repair of the fuel assembly preventive action with regard to future fuel supplies