Remote Field Eddy Current Testing for SG Inspection of Fast Reactor
We confirmed defect detection performance of a remote field eddy current testing (RFECT) in order to inspect a helical-coil-type double wall tube steam generator (DWTSG) with a wire mesh layer for the new-type small fast reactor 4S (Supersafe, Small and Simple). As high sensitivity techniques, to increase an indirect magnetic field intensity, we focused attention on increasing a direct magnetic field intensity in the vicinity of an exciter coil by the use of an exciter coil with a magnetic material (flux guide). We adopted horizontal type multiple detector coils with flux guides arrayed circumferentially to enhance sensitivity of radial direction. According to the experimental results, the indirect magnetic field intensity (the voltage of detector coil in the region of indirect magnetic field) increased more than 100 times by the application of the exciter and detector coils with flux guides. Finally, we detected the pinhole defect of 1 mm in diameter and 20% of outer tube thickness in depth over the wire mesh layer by the adoption of the flux guides and horizontal type multiple detector coils. And we confirmed that the RFECT probe is also useful to detect the thinning defects.