The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Apr. 02, 2002
Filed:
Sep. 17, 1999
Richard G. McClelland, Richland, WA (US);
Framatome ANP Inc., Lynchburg, VA (US);
Abstract
A method for measuring the thickness of an oxide layer formed on the cladding surface of nuclear fuel rods and underlying a crud layer containing ferromagnetic material using eddy current lift-off measurements by exciting a probe coil at a first frequency which penetrates only into the crud layer and by exciting a probe coil at a second frequency which penetrates the crud layer, the oxide layer and into the cladding of a nuclear fuel rod. By subtracting vectorally the complex impedance resulting from exciting the probe coil at the first frequency from the complex impedance resulting from exciting the probe coil at the second frequency, the thickness of the oxide layer formed on the cladding is measured.