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 system configured to monitor the structural health of reactor vessel internals of a nuclear reactor is disclosed herein. The system includes a memory configured to store historical information associated with past performance of the nuclear reactor, and an anomaly detection subsystem including a control circuit configured to receive a signal from a sensor. The anomaly detection subsystem is configured to determine, via the control circuit, a characteristic of a vibrational response of the reactor vessel internals based, at least in part, on the signal; access, via the control circuit, the historical information stored in the memory; compare, via the control circuit, the determined characteristic to the historical information stored in the memory; and determine, via the control circuit, a condition of the reactor vessel internals based, at least in part, on the comparison of the determined characteristic and the historical information.

A system configured to monitor the structural health of reactor vessel internals of a nuclear reactor is disclosed herein. The system includes a memory configured to store historical information associated with past performance of the nuclear reactor, and an anomaly detection subsystem including a control circuit configured to receive a signal from a sensor. The anomaly detection subsystem is configured to determine, via the control circuit, a characteristic of a vibrational response of the reactor vessel internals based, at least in part, on the signal; access, via the control circuit, the historical information stored in the memory; compare, via the control circuit, the determined characteristic to the historical information stored in the memory; and determine, via the control circuit, a condition of the reactor vessel internals based, at least in part, on the comparison of the determined characteristic and the historical information.

The present disclosure relates to a method for monitoring failure of coated particles in fuel elements in a core of a pebble-bed high-temperature gas-cooled reactor, which is related to the technical field of nuclear reactor engineering and includes the following steps: S11, calculating an inventory of a short-lived noble gas fission nuclide; S12, obtaining a ratio of a release rate to a birth rate of the short-lived noble gas fission nuclide based on a temperature of the fuel elements using a Booth diffusion and release model; S13, deriving a theoretical expression for an activity concentration of the short-lived noble gas fission nuclide in a primary circuit using a migration model of the nuclide in the primary circuit; S14, obtaining an experimental measurement value of the activity concentration of the short-lived noble gas fission nuclide in the primary circuit at a sampling moment by gas sampling; S15, optimally calculating a failure fraction of the coated particles in the fuel elements and a share of uranium contamination in the matrix graphite in the core based on the theoretical expression and the experimental measurement value. The present disclosure can provide key parameters for the performance and status of the fuel elements in the core, which are required for radiation safety studies, source term calculations and accident analysis of the pebble-bed high-temperature gas-cooled reactor.

A system configured to monitor the structural health of reactor vessel internals of a nuclear reactor is disclosed herein. The system includes a memory configured to store historical information associated with past performance of the nuclear reactor, and an anomaly detection subsystem including a control circuit configured to receive a signal from a sensor. The anomaly detection subsystem is configured to determine, via the control circuit, a characteristic of a vibrational response of the reactor vessel internals based, at least in part, on the signal; access, via the control circuit, the historical information stored in the memory; compare, via the control circuit, the determined characteristic to the historical information stored in the memory; and determine, via the control circuit, a condition of the reactor vessel internals based, at least in part, on the comparison of the determined characteristic and the historical information.

A method for assisting with surveillance of an element of a nuclear reactor, said method being implemented by an electronic device, comprising the steps of training an artificial-intelligence algorithm; acquiring an image of the element; estimating, on the basis of the image and via the artificial-intelligence algorithm, whether a fault is present in the element; displaying the image of the element; and if at least one fault is estimated to be present, generating an alarm. In the estimating step, an input to the artificial-intelligence algorithm is an image of a region comprising the element, and an output is a level of confidence as regards an absence of fault in the element for said region. If the level of confidence is lower than a threshold, then a fault is estimated to be present. In the training step, only images of fault-free elements are inputted into the artificial-intelligence algorithm.

A method for assisting with surveillance of an element of a nuclear reactor, said method being implemented by an electronic device, comprising the steps of training an artificial-intelligence algorithm; acquiring an image of the element; estimating, on the basis of the image and via the artificial-intelligence algorithm, whether a fault is present in the element; displaying the image of the element; and if at least one fault is estimated to be present, generating an alarm. In the estimating step, an input to the artificial-intelligence algorithm is an image of a region comprising the element, and an output is a level of confidence as regards an absence of fault in the element for said region. If the level of confidence is lower than a threshold, then a fault is estimated to be present. In the training step, only images of fault-free elements are inputted into the artificial-intelligence algorithm.

A system with function of bending and elongation is used for discharging foreign matters from nuclear reactor vessel. The system includes an operating rod which includes a suction pipe, a bendable rod section connected to the suction pipe, and an expandable rod section connected to the bendable rod section; and a drainage pipe. A suction opening is disposed at the suction pipe and an electric valve is disposed at a connection of the suction opening and the suction pipe. A filter mesh is disposed in the suction pipe; a suction pump is disposed in the suction pipe; a touch switch is disposed on the filter mesh. A water inlet of the suction pump is connected to the suction opening, a water outlet of the suction pump is connected to the outside space of the suction pipe though the drainage pipe, and the electric valve is controlled by the touch switch.

A system with function of bending and elongation is used for discharging foreign matters from nuclear reactor vessel. The system includes an operating rod which includes a suction pipe, a bendable rod section connected to the suction pipe, and an expandable rod section connected to the bendable rod section; and a drainage pipe. A suction opening is disposed at the suction pipe and an electric valve is disposed at a connection of the suction opening and the suction pipe. A filter mesh is disposed in the suction pipe; a suction pump is disposed in the suction pipe; a touch switch is disposed on the filter mesh. A water inlet of the suction pump is connected to the suction opening, a water outlet of the suction pump is connected to the outside space of the suction pipe though the drainage pipe, and the electric valve is controlled by the touch switch.

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.