Vistas has successfully performed numerous reactor head inspections (both closure and BMI) for boron leakage since the spring of 2001 under contract to a major utility. A specialized crawler is utilized and the inspection is completed with low dosage to the crew.
The crawler incorporates high-resolution fixed color cameras in the front and rear of the unit (The rear camera is necessary to ensure unimpaired exit mobility for the crawler and to support umbilical management) and a pan/tilt/ 72:1 zoom camera with variable lighting mounted onto the crawler. This camera has unique tilt capabilities to ensure well over 360 degree scans of the BMIs. A VT card is used to calibrate camera resolution. The crawler also has fore and aft LED lamp arrays; magnets in the chassis powerful enough for climbing vertical and overhead ferrous surfaces; and two tracks that allow excellent mobility on the reactor head between the penetrations. The umbilical is up to 200′ long, allowing the inspection to be perfomed from the seal table (If the plant configuration allows).
Customer procedures and quality plans were followed strictly. Original digital videos and final reports with color photos were submitted to the customer prior to Vistas departing the site.