On-site implementation of characterization and sizing techniques for outer-wall defects in reactor pressure vessels

Pressurized reactor vessels in France have been examined from the inside with ultrasonic focused transducers since the very first inspection. The developments carried out to solve the problem of oversizing in the case of defects located near the outer surface in the welds or in the wall thickness and presented in the framework of the 10th and 11th conference of NDE in the nuclear and pressure vessels industries, now have applications through SPARTACUS software work. Indications detected during, the systematic inspection of welds and shells, corresponding to outer wall defects, trigger a digital acquisition of data, the scanning being limited to the area of interest. This acquisition is now followed by analysis through the new system CIVAMIS, which includes the main imaging tools of SPARTACUS, but which has been specifically developed to be implemented on site, for outer wall defects. Characteristics of CIVAMIS in relation with the initial structure of SPARTACUS are discussed on actual results