Sensors, Vol. 19, Pages 4334: 2D Ultrasonic Antenna System for Imaging in Liquid Sodium

Sensors, Vol. 19, Pages 4334: 2D Ultrasonic Antenna System for Imaging in Liquid Sodium Sensors doi: 10.3390/s19194334 Authors: Léonard Le Jeune Raphaële Raillon Gwénaël Toullelan François Baqué Laura Taupin Ultrasonic techniques are developed at CEA (French Alternative Energies and Nuclear Energy Commission) for in-service inspection of sodium-cooled reactors (SFRs). Among them, an ultrasound imaging system made up of two orthogonal antennas and originally based on an underwater imaging system is studied for long-distance vision in the liquid sodium of the reactor’s primary circuit. After a description of the imaging principle of this system, some results of a simulation study performed with the software CIVA in order to optimize the antenna parameters are presented. Then, experimental measurements carried out in a water tank illustrate the system capabilities. Finally, the limitations of the imaging performances and the ongoing search of solutions to address them are discussed.
Source: Sensors - Category: Biotechnology Authors: Tags: Article Source Type: research