Underwater tooling and process development is proceeding for deployment of a phased array based system for NDE inspections of the core shroud welds. The single phased array transducer, which is only slightly larger than one of current four transducers, results a significant reduction in the size and weight requirements of the delivery package. WesDyne has taken advantage of this in an innovative end effector design that can be delivered to the shroud welds by three methods. First, the end effector is remotely mounted to the WesDyne shroud inspection tooling which will allow close to 100% coverage of welds H1 through H7. Second, the end effector can be delivered by standard hand held pole for inspection of welds H8 and H9 from the annulus and third, it can be mounted to a pole that attaches to the top guide for inspection of H8 from the shroud inside diameter.

WesDyne is developing an underwater tooling system for performing shell weld examinations in accordance with ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code Appendix VIII, Supplements 4 and 6. The tooling system is composed of a remotely dockable end effector that will provide coverage of all of the vertical shell welds and the flange to shell circumferential weld in accordance with the BWR VIP guidelines. The end effector is delivered with a modified version of the shroud inspection fixture. The modified shroud inspection fixture, composed of a circumferential drive, radial drive and elevation drive along with the inspection end effector has been integrated into the PWR vessel inspection control system to provide a seamless delivery philosophy for vessel inspections whether BWR or PWR. The control system contains a three dimensional depiction of the robotics operating within the environment to provide operator assistance for delivery in the BWR annulus and shell regions. Scan plans for the i nspections are placed into the control system database to allow for automated sequence generation of all required scans.