A Precise Oxide Film Thickness Measurement Method Based on Swept Frequency and Transmission Cable Impedance Correction
Accurately measuring the thickness of the oxide film that accumulates on nuclear fuel assemblies is critical for maintaining nuclear power plant safety. Oxide film thickness typically ranges from a few micrometers to several tens of micrometers, necessitating a high-precision measurement system. Edd...
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MDPI AG
2025-01-01
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| author | Yifan Li Qi Xiao Lisha Peng Songling Huang Chaofeng Ye |
| author_facet | Yifan Li Qi Xiao Lisha Peng Songling Huang Chaofeng Ye |
| author_sort | Yifan Li |
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| description | Accurately measuring the thickness of the oxide film that accumulates on nuclear fuel assemblies is critical for maintaining nuclear power plant safety. Oxide film thickness typically ranges from a few micrometers to several tens of micrometers, necessitating a high-precision measurement system. Eddy current testing (ECT) is commonly employed during poolside inspections due to its simplicity and ease of on-site implementation. The use of swept frequency technology can mitigate the impact of interference parameters and improve the measurement accuracy of ECT. However, as the nuclear assembly is placed in a pool for inspection, a cable several dozen meters in length is used to connect the ECT probe to the instrument. The measurement is affected by the transmission line and its effect is a function of the operating frequencies, resulting in errors for swept frequency measurements. This paper proposes a method for precisely measuring oxide film thickness based on the swept frequency technique and long transmission line impedance correction. The signals are calibrated based on a transmission line model of the cable, effectively eliminating the influence of the transmission cable. A swept frequency signal-processing algorithm is developed to separate the parameters and calculate oxide film thickness. To verify the feasibility of the method, measurements are conducted on fuel cladding samples with varying conductivities. It is found that the method can accurately assess oxide film thickness with varying conductivity. The maximum error is 3.42 μm, while the average error is 1.82 μm. The impedance correction reduces the error by 66%. The experimental results indicate that this method can eliminate the impact of long transmission cables, and the algorithm can mitigate the influence of material conductivity. This method can be utilized to measure oxide film thickness in nuclear power maintenance inspections following extensive testing and engineering optimization. |
| format | Article |
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| institution | Kabale University |
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| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
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| spelling | doaj-art-63f324943c4e41b38a6b9c240c14e3e62025-01-24T13:49:25ZengMDPI AGSensors1424-82202025-01-0125257910.3390/s25020579A Precise Oxide Film Thickness Measurement Method Based on Swept Frequency and Transmission Cable Impedance CorrectionYifan Li0Qi Xiao1Lisha Peng2Songling Huang3Chaofeng Ye4School of Information Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, ChinaSchool of Information Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, ChinaDepartment of Electrical, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, ChinaDepartment of Electrical, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, ChinaSchool of Information Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, ChinaAccurately measuring the thickness of the oxide film that accumulates on nuclear fuel assemblies is critical for maintaining nuclear power plant safety. Oxide film thickness typically ranges from a few micrometers to several tens of micrometers, necessitating a high-precision measurement system. Eddy current testing (ECT) is commonly employed during poolside inspections due to its simplicity and ease of on-site implementation. The use of swept frequency technology can mitigate the impact of interference parameters and improve the measurement accuracy of ECT. However, as the nuclear assembly is placed in a pool for inspection, a cable several dozen meters in length is used to connect the ECT probe to the instrument. The measurement is affected by the transmission line and its effect is a function of the operating frequencies, resulting in errors for swept frequency measurements. This paper proposes a method for precisely measuring oxide film thickness based on the swept frequency technique and long transmission line impedance correction. The signals are calibrated based on a transmission line model of the cable, effectively eliminating the influence of the transmission cable. A swept frequency signal-processing algorithm is developed to separate the parameters and calculate oxide film thickness. To verify the feasibility of the method, measurements are conducted on fuel cladding samples with varying conductivities. It is found that the method can accurately assess oxide film thickness with varying conductivity. The maximum error is 3.42 μm, while the average error is 1.82 μm. The impedance correction reduces the error by 66%. The experimental results indicate that this method can eliminate the impact of long transmission cables, and the algorithm can mitigate the influence of material conductivity. This method can be utilized to measure oxide film thickness in nuclear power maintenance inspections following extensive testing and engineering optimization.https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/25/2/579eddy current testing (ECT)transmission line modelimpedance correctionoxide film thickness measurementswept frequency |
| spellingShingle | Yifan Li Qi Xiao Lisha Peng Songling Huang Chaofeng Ye A Precise Oxide Film Thickness Measurement Method Based on Swept Frequency and Transmission Cable Impedance Correction Sensors eddy current testing (ECT) transmission line model impedance correction oxide film thickness measurement swept frequency |
| title | A Precise Oxide Film Thickness Measurement Method Based on Swept Frequency and Transmission Cable Impedance Correction |
| title_full | A Precise Oxide Film Thickness Measurement Method Based on Swept Frequency and Transmission Cable Impedance Correction |
| title_fullStr | A Precise Oxide Film Thickness Measurement Method Based on Swept Frequency and Transmission Cable Impedance Correction |
| title_full_unstemmed | A Precise Oxide Film Thickness Measurement Method Based on Swept Frequency and Transmission Cable Impedance Correction |
| title_short | A Precise Oxide Film Thickness Measurement Method Based on Swept Frequency and Transmission Cable Impedance Correction |
| title_sort | precise oxide film thickness measurement method based on swept frequency and transmission cable impedance correction |
| topic | eddy current testing (ECT) transmission line model impedance correction oxide film thickness measurement swept frequency |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/25/2/579 |
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