In these domains, the CEA fulfills the needs of the leading nuclear organizations and firms: EDF, FRAMATOME, Cogema, Intercontrôle and IPSN. It also provides, in its Technology transfer mission, support for French non-nuclear industrial firms. The nuclear requirements concern improving existing methods and developing new ones, and expertise in non destructive testing. By using modeling, data processing and innovative instrumental techniques, the CEA is developing tools that allow better defect characterization and sizing.

We will first present the results obtained in the field of ultrasonic testing modeling and then the contribution of various capabilities in the development of complementary methods by giving the example of primary piping in pressurized water reactors (PWRs) and steam generators.

Finally, CIVA, a multi-technique analysis and expertise system, will be briefly described. The increasing amount of data generated in inspections and the necessity of often using several inspection methods have led to the development of this system to provide the operator with the data processing and modeling results required for diagnostics in a readily accessible form.