Optoelectronic devices control for noncontact dimensional inspection of fuel elements of nuclear reactors VVER-1000 and VVER-440

Safety of nuclear reactor and ensuring their high exploitation reliability are urgent problems of nuclear power engineering. This requires a 1 00% noncontact precise productive inspection of geometrical parameters of fuel elements, including their cladding diameter, length and straightness. Optoelectronic devices "Control-i" and "Control-2" for automated noncontact dimensional inspection of fuel elements of Russian nuclear reactors VVER-1000 and VVER-440, incorporated to technological line of their production, are developed and produced at TDI STE. The measurement method using shadow technique, structural block-scheme, operation, software and metrological assurance of these devices are presented. Special attention is paid to the basic modules-measuring gages. As a result of industrial testing of these devices it has been established that diameter measurement error does not exceed 8 ?m, deviation from straightness is less than 15?m, and the length - 0,15 mm. The devices at present are in pilot industrial exploitation.