Automated eddy current data analysis

Pressurised heavy water reactors (PHWRs) have two components which can present risks during the operation time. These are the tubes bundle of steam generator, made now from Incoloy 800, and pressure tubes made from Zr 2.5% Nb in which the nuclear fuel bundles are inserted and through which heavy water circulates as coolant agent. During the outage, both the components are non-destructive tested using eddy current method with differential transducers and, for confirmation of flaws, rotating pancake probe. This paper presents the possibility of using a new eddy current transducer – the transducer with rotating magnetic field as well as the algorithms for processing and automated evaluation of data.