Babcock's Nicie core inspection kit for British Energy
28 Sep 2010
London – Babcock’s NICIE graphite core inspection technology is to be extended to Torness and Heysham 2 in a contract worth £3.1 million. The NICIE system has already been deployed at British Energy AGR Stations, Hartlepool, Heysham 1, Hinkley Point B and Hunterston.
NICIE is an acronym for New In-Core Inspection Equipment. The original NICIE is operating during refuelling outages at Hartlepool and Heysham 1 and was first used in the summer of 2005.
Designed, manufactured and commissioned by Babcock, it consists of a radiation tolerant TRIUMPH camera mounted onto a contained hoist. The camera’s rotate module allows 360o rotation and the channel viewing mirror enables sideways viewing for channel wall inspection.
NICIE is controlled by a console located at pilecap level, giving both remote operation and excellent visual feedback. The flat form umbilical, winds onto a pancake drum hoist that was based on a previously successful Babcock-designed manipulator hoist.
In 2007, Babcock developed the Mk2 NICIE for Hinkley Point B which was first used on reactor in 2008 and a second was also commissioned at Hunterston the following year. Mk2 NICIE incorporates not only a camera, but also Channel Bore Measuring, capable of being deployed through the reactor ported plug.
When inserted into the fuel channel, it is designed to deliver TV images and an accurate measurement of the shape and profile of the graphite core. At present Mk2 NICIE is configured to operate at six British Energy AGR Stations.
“The Mk2 NICIEs features a highly engineered pressure interface this means that once the NICIE is connected to the reactor, it becomes part of that reactor’s pressure circuit,” explained John Holt graphite inspection project manager at Babcock.
“Mk2 NICIE worked at Hinkley and Hunterston as expected, with Hunterston being commissioned on time and Hinkley being commissioned early, said Alan Greenaway, British Energy team leader. “We therefore confidently expect Heysham and Torness units to be commissioned in 2011 and 2012.”
