Structual Health Monitoring for Nuclear Applications

NNL is seeking information on advanced technologies and systems to detect and monitor structural components for damage in an operating nuclear plant. Structural health monitoring and prognostics has the potential to reduce the need for in-service inspection by only performing inspections when deemed necessary. This would reduce lifetime inspection costs and potential radiation exposure to inspection personnel. NNL is interested in technologies that can detect early damage initiation (detection and location) and monitor damage progression on structures in an operating nuclear plant environment. The technology should be able to be installed permanently on a component of interest (e.g. vessel, piping) at temperatures of 400 to 600 °F. As the specific location of damage initiation is uncertain, the technology should be able to detect damage over a large region and identify the location of concern. Differentiation between damage activity and noise sources (e.g. fluid flow, temperature transients, pump activity) is critical to elimination of false positive calls. Data analysis should be automated so that operator review only needs to occur when damage is active.