Inspection of nuclear reactors primary components

For more than 40 years, Intercontrôle has been a leading player in the in-service inspection of safety-critical components of nuclear reactors.

On average, Intercontrôle conducts 100 interventions per year on the different components of the primary circuits of nuclear reactors.

In addition to the inspection of pressure vessels and steam generator tubes, Intercontrôle’s operations also cover the inspection of pressure vessel heads and interiors, pressurisers and primary circuit piping.

Intercontrôle develops, qualifies and operates its inspection equipment on-site and provides the maintenance and logistics that are necessary to perform the inspections.

The list below contains details of the primary components we inspect.

Inspection of the Chemical and Volume Control System (CVCS)

Pressure vessel internals & ancillaries

  • Reactor vessel head
  • Reactor vessel head bolting
  • Reactor vessel Bottom Mounted Instrumentation
  • Rod Control Cluster Assemblies (RCCA)
  • Guide tubes pins
  • Baffle to former bolts
  • RIC In-Core thimbles
  • EPR reactor Control Rod Drive Mechanism (CRDM)
Tuyauterie primaire

Chemical and Volumetric Control system

Primary circuit piping

  • Pressurizer Surge line
  • Chemical and Volumetric Control system
  • Boron injection Circuit nozzles
  • EPR welds of the Main Coolant line

100 on-site operations per year worldwide

  • Reactor pressure vessel head bolting

  • Fuel Rod Control Cluster Assemblies

  • Main coolant line piping nozzle

  • Nozzle inner radius defect characterization with a flexible phased-array ultrasonic transducer