Research on Impact Factors of Depth Quantification in Eddy Current Test for Thimble Tubes Wear of Nuclear Power Plants

The result of the eddy current inspection for the thimble tube of a nuclear reactor neutron flux measurement system is the reference for the nuclear power plant to take maintenance actions. Based on the currently-used eddy current inspection method, the effect of the parameter variation of the tube defect on the depth quantification is analyzed. The results show that when the angle of the defect circumferential is less than 210°, it has a greater effect on the eddy current measurement depth quantification and when the defect length is less than 20mm, the effect of the defect depth quantification is obviously. The measurement depth in the eddy current of the crescent-type defect is smaller than the design depth. When the circumferential position of two defects is constant, the overlapped defect has no effect on the measurement, but the overlapped defect will have serious influence for the measurement result if the circumferential position of the two defects changes.