The AIRIS™ Scanning Technology: Improved Reliability

August 17, 2020 | 2 min read

In 2019, approximately 800 billion kilowatt hours of electricity was produced in the U.S. by nuclear power. With such a large and predominant reach, inspections and safety have never been more important. Industrial Inspection & Analysis (IIA) Nuclear Services recognizes the incredibly vital aspects of safe, efficient, and accurate examinations, and that is why we deploy the AIRISTM robotic scanner to examine welds inside of reactor vessels. The improvements IIA Nuclear Services has made in the technology have resulted in better performance from the scanner and increased reliability curves in the data.

IIA’s improvements in the technology now allows the scanner sensor to withstand more temperature variations as it moves from top to bottom inside the tank. This means the device is operating with more precision, and, in turn, the reliability of the data greatly increases.

Along with these advances, the AIRISTM has a low profile and extreme maneuverability, both of which allow the robot to be placed inside a reactor vessel and maneuver around the internal components of the vessel’s interior. The AIRISTM has the ability to maneuver around internal components such as jet pumps and other restrictive areas. This is simply not possible with other examination devices.

When deploying the AIRISTM to conduct weld examinations instead of performing examinations from the outside of the vessel, exposure to radiation is decreased and also site support and maintenance requirements are minimal. Another benefit of the AIRISTM is that other tasks can be performed while AIRIS examinations are underway, for example, refueling, in-vessel visual examinations, and other in-vessel maintenance tasks. The AIRISTM is accurate, fast, and easy to use. It can also be instrumental in quickly moving projects from emergency status to back-on-track and running smoothly, on time and on budget.

It is paramount to have systems and teams in place that can deliver accurate information in an extremely efficient manner. The Nuclear Services professionals at IIA offer reliable and trustworthy facility maintenance and inspection services with cutting-edge technology. We are proud to provide responsive communications and strategic solutions to ensure all regulatory standards are met. Industrial Inspection & Analysis cares about the success of our customers and recognizes the importance of precision, safety, and optimizing resources. IIA’s professional track record and story-worthy service keeps your facility running safely and efficiently.