A camera system includes a camera assembly including a camera unit having an optical zoom of at least 30 and a digital zoom of at least 10, a controller structured to control one or more operable characteristics of the camera unit and to receive an output of the camera unit, and a conduit connecting the camera unit and the controller.

Systems and methods position tools about a flooded nuclear reactor during maintenance outages without overhead support or alignment structures being necessary. systems may include annular clamps for support from a reactor steam dam, a telescoping mast, a motor or other drive to extend or retract the mast, and/or an articulator to hold the payload and move the same about any degree of freedom. The telescoping mast may include several nested sections joined to a drive motor. Several different articulators are useable, including those with separate gearings for rotation about perpendicular axes and self-leveling wrists to orient tools in confirmed positions. Systems can be locally or remotely powered and controlled through powered and communicative connections to move about any position in a reactor annulus or core.

Systems and methods position tools about a flooded nuclear reactor during maintenance outages without overhead support or alignment structures being necessary. systems may include annular clamps for support from a reactor steam dam, a telescoping mast, a motor or other drive to extend or retract the mast, and/or an articulator to hold the payload and move the same about any degree of freedom. The telescoping mast may include several nested sections joined to a drive motor. Several different articulators are useable, including those with separate gearings for rotation about perpendicular axes and self-leveling wrists to orient tools in confirmed positions. Systems can be locally or remotely powered and controlled through powered and communicative connections to move about any position in a reactor annulus or core.

Systems and methods suitable for capable of autonomous crack detection in surfaces by analyzing video of the surface. The systems and methods include the capability to produce a video of the surfaces, the capability to analyze individual frames of the video to obtain surface texture feature data for areas of the surfaces depicted in each of the individual frames, the capability to analyze the surface texture feature data to detect surface texture features in the areas of the surfaces depicted in each of the individual frames, the capability of tracking the motion of the detected surface texture features in the individual frames to produce tracking data, and the capability of using the tracking data to filter non-crack surface texture features from the detected surface texture features in the individual frames.

A method for inspecting a nuclear reactor part includes placing an optical sensor (38) in front of the part to be inspected using a carrier (40); acquiring at least a first image of at least a reference portion of the part using the optical sensor (38), the or each first image being taken with a first magnification; reconstituting a three-dimensional model of said reference portion of the part using the or each first acquired image; calculating the position of an area to be inspected relative to the optical sensor (38) using the three-dimensional model; acquiring at least a second image of the area to be inspected using the optical sensor (38), the or each second image of the area to be inspected being taken with a second magnification higher than the first magnification.

A method for inspecting a nuclear reactor part includes placing an optical sensor (38) in front of the part to be inspected using a carrier (40); acquiring at least a first image of at least a reference portion of the part using the optical sensor (38), the or each first image being taken with a first magnification; reconstituting a three-dimensional model of said reference portion of the part using the or each first acquired image; calculating the position of an area to be inspected relative to the optical sensor (38) using the three-dimensional model; acquiring at least a second image of the area to be inspected using the optical sensor (38), the or each second image of the area to be inspected being taken with a second magnification higher than the first magnification.

Provided are a fuel placement confirmation method and a fuel placement confirmation apparatus that can increase an underwater imaging distance, collectively image a wide region, and reliably confirm an imprint number of a fuel assembly in consideration of a water fluctuation. A fuel placement confirmation apparatus 1 includes an imaging device 2 which images a fuel assembly number imprinted on a fuel assembly 27 loaded into a core 12; a movement device 5 which holds the imaging device 2 and performs scanning in a horizontal plane above the fuel assembly 27; and a fuel placement confirmation processing unit 3 which causes the movement device 5 to perform scanning, repeatedly executes imaging by the imaging device 2 on at least the fuel assembly 27 to be a placement confirmation target, selects image data not including image distortion from a plurality of acquired imaged images, combines the image data, generates entire image data 44 of at least the fuel assembly to be the placement confirmation target, and outputs the entire image data 44 to a display unit 8.

Provided are a fuel placement confirmation method and a fuel placement confirmation apparatus that can increase an underwater imaging distance, collectively image a wide region, and reliably confirm an imprint number of a fuel assembly in consideration of a water fluctuation. A fuel placement confirmation apparatus 1 includes an imaging device 2 which images a fuel assembly number imprinted on a fuel assembly 27 loaded into a core 12; a movement device 5 which holds the imaging device 2 and performs scanning in a horizontal plane above the fuel assembly 27; and a fuel placement confirmation processing unit 3 which causes the movement device 5 to perform scanning, repeatedly executes imaging by the imaging device 2 on at least the fuel assembly 27 to be a placement confirmation target, selects image data not including image distortion from a plurality of acquired imaged images, combines the image data, generates entire image data 44 of at least the fuel assembly to be the placement confirmation target, and outputs the entire image data 44 to a display unit 8.

Techniques, systems, and devices are disclosed for non-invasive monitoring and imaging of nuclear fuel inside a nuclear reactor using muon detector arrays. In one aspect, these detector arrays are placed outside the reactor vessel or building for investigating the reactors without access to the cores, therefore the imaging process is non-invasive. In some implementation, these detector arrays measure both muon scattering and absorption to enable imaging and characterizing not only the very high-Z fuel materials, but also other materials in the reactor, thereby obtaining a more complete picture of reactor status. When applied to damaged reactors, the disclosed proposed techniques, systems, and devices, through the process of providing an image, can reveal the presence (or absence) of damage to fuel rod assemblies or puddles of molten fuel at the bottom of the containment vessel, thus providing crucial information to guide decisions about remedial actions.

Techniques, systems, and devices are disclosed for non-invasive monitoring and imaging of nuclear fuel inside a nuclear reactor using muon detector arrays. In one aspect, these detector arrays are placed outside the reactor vessel or building for investigating the reactors without access to the cores, therefore the imaging process is non-invasive. In some implementation, these detector arrays measure both muon scattering and absorption to enable imaging and characterizing not only the very high-Z fuel materials, but also other materials in the reactor, thereby obtaining a more complete picture of reactor status. When applied to damaged reactors, the disclosed proposed techniques, systems, and devices, through the process of providing an image, can reveal the presence (or absence) of damage to fuel rod assemblies or puddles of molten fuel at the bottom of the containment vessel, thus providing crucial information to guide decisions about remedial actions.