Digital Image Analysis of In-Vessel Visual Inspection(II)

Abstract

[[abstract]]Visual Inspection is one of the non-destruction testing (NDT) and the features of visual inspection are direct and rapid. In it’s application to RPV and internals, the In-Vessel Visual Inspection (IVVI) is performed periodically to monitor the integrity of the reactor and internals. Due to the high radioactivity, the IVVI is performed remotely by an underwater camera imaging system. The trained inspector can use a monitor to watch the underwater reactor structures in real time or for post-analysis. However, the critical lighting condition and the distortion of the imaging system bring some difficulties in judging the defect’s size and whether the defect is active or not. We need a new tool to quantify the messages buried inside those IVVI images. In the recent years, the innovation of computer technology makes digital image analysis technique more accessible for engineers and scientist in varied research fields. We hope to apply the digital image processing to the IVVI application. The proposed works in this year include the following topics: (a) IVVI image digitization for permanent storage, (b) Virtual reality for the integration of IVVI images and real position, (c) Camera self-calibration for IVVI images from different image systems at different time, (d) Automatic measurement of the MTF (Modulation Transfer Function) of the imaging system by computer vision. In this research project, image analysis of IVVI images would be beneficial to normal operation of the nuclear reactor.