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The non-destructive testing in an industry with use of rhe radionuclides V. Ivanov, N. Kuzelev, V. Gratchov, E. Zhukovsky, L. Kosarev. Contact

The non-destructive testing (NTD) based on the use of the isotope sources of radiation is the significant stage of a number of industry processes. Due to high penetrating ability of ionizing radiations especially of gamma - quanta and neutrons, the radionuclide techiques and the NTD means allow receiving the unique data on internal structure of objects, and material properties.
The
• automated systems of quality testing during the manufacture of the nuclear fuel elements (NFE);
• gamma - quanta and neutron means for radiografic testing of the crucial elements and details of the nuclear reactors, the oil and gas industry, the shipbuilding, the aircraft and space engineering and the material researches;
• flaw detectors, radiation computer tomographs for research of the high-loaded objects of air and space engineering and nuclear power engineering.
are developed in VNIITFA on the basis of isotopes use.
The basic techniques and equipment for solving the problems of the determination of density and distribution of nuclear and rocket fuel; for the pores and the cracks revealation; for the testing of the units and components assembly correctness; for the measurements of level and the thickness are created and developed in VNIITFA.
The automated quality testing systems of NFE are based on the use of unitized blocks and normalized units. That allows to-day creating the precision equipment for the nuclear industry in a short space of time. The feature of system is use of the radionuclide sources ²⁴¹Am and ¹³⁷Cs, and applying the modern detecting units, the industrial computers and the software.
The gamma-quanta and neutron radiography means distinguish high resolution at revealing defects. It is caused of the grand achievements of nuclear industry on creation of the new equipment and of the sharp-focus high-activity flaw detection sources of radiation. These sources based on use of ⁷⁵Se, ¹⁹²Ir, ⁶⁰Co. (Fig. 1, 2, 3).
The leading firms of Russia and foreign countries VNIITFA, NIIAR, Izotopen technik Dr. Sauerwein GmbH and others participated directly in this work. Some unique sets for the neutron radiography with use of powerful neutron sources made of ²⁵²Cf are created in VNIITFA together with NIIAR.
Radiometric flaw detectors have the high precision characteristics and the stability of testing results. And, if the hardware processing signals is used in the first flaw detectors, the computer construction of the shadow image of objects is carried out in the modern systems with using the received from detectors signals.
The transmission radionuclide tomographs allows receiving the data on products inaccessible to other methods and means of the control including widely used rontgenography and radiography. The transmission method and devices for testing of the nuclear fuel and its component distribution in fuel elements before irradiation were developed (Fig. 4,5). The main tomograph characteristics are given in table.


Diameter of the tested objects	5-250 mm
Time of information collection	1-5 min
Time of computer processing	30-40 s
Minimal size of the details detected in the object in percents to its total volume	0.1
Maximal number of elements of the picture in the screen of the monitor	512´512


Using the radionuclide monoenergetic sources allows receiving quantitative data on separate elements distribution.
The combination of radiometric and tomographic methods of testing was used in defectoscope-tomograph SDT (Fig.6). It was designed for gas pipeline elements testing.


Fig 4:

Fig 5:

Fig 6:

The emission tomography has no alternative by registration of fission nuclides radiation except for destructive material researches technique and allows receiving the activity distribution in objects.
The Concept of this scientific and technical direction in Ministry of Atomic Energy provides to-day the consolidated priority development of NDT with use of radionuclides as for solving the major problems for nuclear industry as well as for industrial application in other branches of industry.

Container (4 canals) tip

Exposure head tip

Gamma-radiation source, isotope	Se-75
T1/2	» 120 days
Eg, MeV (activity, Ci)	»0,215(120)
Active core size, mm Se-75	To Ø 3x3
Thickness of material exposure (Fe), mm.	5-30
Displacement of the radiation source, m -horizontally -vertically	To 8,0 To 4,0
Transportation and recharging	Container (4 channals)
Working temperature, Co	From - 50 to +50
Service life	to 5 year or 50000 cycles
Gamma-radiation exposure dose capacity with the radiation source recommended for the given apparatus. On surface of the exposure head At 1-m distance from the exposure container surface with radiation source inside	(position storage, not more) 0,56(200) Micro Sv/s (m ram/h) 0,0056(2) Micro Sv/s (m ram/h)
Overall dimensions of the, mm - - exposure head - -hand management (unfold)	224x100x175 8200x60x120
Mass, kg -exposure head. -hand management (unfold)	»20 »8
Fig 1: TECHNICA1 DATA -Se4/P

Gamma-radiation source, isotope	Co-60
T1/2	5,25 years
Eg, MeV (activity, Ci)	1,25 (100)
Active core size, mm Co-60	To Ø 4x4
Thickness of material exposure (Fe), mm.	30 - 200
Displacement of the radiation source, m -horizontally -vertically	To 8,0 To 4,0
Transportation and recharging	Container (2 channals)
Working temperature, C°	From +1,0 to +45
Service life	to 8 years or 50000 cycles
Gamma-radiation exposure dose capacity with the radiation source recommended for the given apparatus. On surface of the exposure head At I-m distance from the exposure container surface with radiation source inside	(position storage, not more) 0,56(200) Micro Sv/s (m ram/h) 0,0138(5) Micro Sv/s (m ram/h)
Overall dimensions of the, mm - exposure head - container (2 channals) - hand management (unfold)	450x270x320 Ø 300x350 8200x60x120
Mass, kg - exposure head. - container (2 canals) - hand management (unfold)	»152 »150 »8
electrical management	220 V, 50Hz, 500 VA
Fig 2: TECHNICA1 DATA -K/100

Gamma-radiation source, isotope	Se-75, Ir-192
T1/2 Se-75 T1/2 Ir-192	»120 day »74 day
Eg, MeV (activity, to Ci) Se-75 Ir-192	»0,215(120) »0,400 (120)
Active core size, mm Se-75 . Ir-192	To Ø 3x3 To Ø 4x4
Thickness of material exposure (Fe), mm. Se-75 Ir-192	5-30 10-60
Transportation and recharging	Container (4 channals)
Overall dimensions of the, mm - exposure head	300x130x270
Mass, kg - exposure head.	»20
Fig 3: TECHNICA1 DATA

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