Non-destructive Examination (NDE) Development for the Inspection of Copper Coatings on Used Fuel Containers

Abstract

In the Nuclear Waste Management Organization’s (NWMO) concept of a deep geological repository for the storage of Canada’s spent nuclear fuel, a major engineered component in the system is the Used Fuel Container (UFC). NWMO’s design for the UFC incorporates an external copper coating bonded directly to the carbon steel structural core for corrosion protection. This paper reports current work being carried out in collaboration with Nucleom Inc. for Non-Destructive Examination (NDE) technique development used for the inspection of electrodeposited and cold spray copper coatings utilized in the UFC design. A combination of ultrasonic and eddy current methods are being investigated for the detection and sizing of volumetric, surface and dis-bond defects and verification of coating thickness. The results to date from inspection trials are presented herein.