Eddy current method for the characterization of broached tube support plate blockage

Abstract

A method for determining tube support plate blockage of a steam generator includes the following steps: measuring at least five different eddy current values per tube support intersection; calculating a nominal clean fit radius of flow hole; determining a center signal response; converting the center signal response to a deposit thickness; determine an edge reduction; converting the edge reduction to an edge thickness; calculating the resulting flow hole radius; verifying the reasonableness of the resulting flow hole radius; and determining a virtual calibration range.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for evaluating steam generator operational attributes comprising:
 using eddy current measurements to determine blockage values of a plurality of tube support plate flow areas of a steam generator;   inputting the blockage values into a computer implemented thermo/hydraulic model, the input blockage values being probabilistically adjusted; and   operating the computer implemented thermo/hydraulic model to estimate an effect of the blockage on critical steam generator operational attributes.   
     
     
         2 . A method of determining tube support plate blockage in a steam generator comprising:
 using eddy current measurements to determine blockage values of a plurality of tube support plate flow areas of a steam generator;   characterizing a deposition morphology of each tube support flow area using the blockage values; and   operating the computer implemented thermo/hydraulic model using the blockage values to estimate an effect of the blockage on critical steam generator operational attributes.   
     
     
         3 . A method for evaluating steam generator operational attributes comprising:
 using eddy current measurements to determine a value for a blockage of each of a plurality of tube support plate flow areas of a steam generator by considering all flow holes of each of the tube support plate flow areas;   inputting the value for each of the plurality of tube support plate flow areas of the steam generator into a computer implemented thermo/hydraulic model; and   operating the computer implemented thermo/hydraulic model to estimate an effect of the blockage on critical steam generator operational attributes.