Device for inspecting plant parts located under water
View Patent ↗A device for inspecting submersed plant parts is particularly suited for ultrasonic inspection of screws in the core baffle of a nuclear reactor pressure vessel. The device includes a remote-controlled underwater vehicle that is provided at its end face with a carrier that can be pivoted about a pivot axis oriented parallel to the longitudinal central axis of the underwater vehicle, and is provided with a holding device for an inspection head that is arranged on the carrier spaced apart from the pivot axis.
1. A device for inspecting submersed plant parts, comprising:
a free floating remote-controlled underwater diving vehicle having drives disposed thereon for approaching different inspection positions, an end face and a longitudinal central axis perpendicular to said end face;
a carrier pivotally mounted at said end face exclusively about a pivot axis oriented parallel to said longitudinal central axis of said underwater vehicle, said carrier including a ring having a center on said pivot axis;
at least one radial spoke fixing said ring on a shaft of a first rotary drive; and
a holding device for an inspection head mounted to said carrier at a spacing distance from said pivot axis.
2. The device according to claim 1 , wherein said pivot axis is disposed at a spacing from said longitudinal central axis.
3. The device according to claim 2 , wherein said pivot axis is disposed at an edge of said underwater vehicle.
4. The device according to claim 3 , wherein a location of said pivot axis on said underwater vehicle and a spacing of said holding device from said pivot axis are coordinated with one another such that the inspection head can be brought into mutually opposite positions that project over a lateral edge of said underwater vehicle.
5. The device according to claim 3 , wherein a location of said pivot axis on said underwater vehicle and a spacing of said holding device from said pivot axis are coordinated with one another such that the inspection head can be brought into mutually opposite positions in a vicinity of or projecting beyond a lateral edge of said underwater vehicle.
6. The device according to claim 1 , wherein said underwater vehicle is configured for inspection of plant parts in a core baffle of a nuclear reactor pressure vessel.
7. The device according to claim 1 , wherein said holding device is configured for holding an inspection head for ultrasonic inspection of screws in a core baffle of a nuclear reactor pressure vessel.
8. The device according to claim 1 , wherein said carrier is balanced such that, when the test head is mounted to said carrier, substantially no torque acting on said carrier about said pivot axis is exerted by a force of gravity irrespective of a pivoting position of the inspection head.
9. The device according to claim 1 , which comprises a multiplicity of support elements on said carrier and disposed in a circumferential direction about said pivot axis and spaced apart from one another in the circumferential direction.
10. The device according to claim 1 , which comprises a universal joint mounting the inspection head in said holding device.
11. The device according to claim 1 , wherein said carrier is an optically transparent disc.
12. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the inspection head is rotatably mounted in said holding device about a central axis extending parallel to said pivot axis.