Dent Measurement in Nuclear Steam Generator Tubes

Steam generator tubes found in commercial nuclear power generating plants and naval vessels are sometimes subject to denting. Left undetected and unchecked, denting in these safety-critical tubing systems can lead to cracking and — ultimately — failure.

LTC’s laser-based profiling systems are well-suited for dent measurement in tubes. Using a high-resolution, laser-based profiling sensor, flaw measurement accuracy is typically better than ±0.002 inch (0.050 mm) with resolution to approximately 0.0005 inch (0.013 mm). Using LTC's LaserViewer™ software, operators may interrogate data sets in many ways, including calculating average, minimum and maximum diameter in a local region or over the entire length of the tube. Calibrated data sets may also be exported for further processing using commercial scientific software packages.