Abstract: A rail apparatus positioned around the surface of a reactor pressure vessel surfaces (1) for carrying equipment such as a flaw detector to permit the equipment to move along the surface of a reactor pressure vessel in the vertical and circumferential directions. The rail apparatus has a plurality of vertical rails (81) and at least one circumferential rail (82) connected to the vertical rails through turn tables (83) at respective points of intersection. Each vertical rail (81) is supported by a supporting member wall fixed at its one end to a gamma-ray shielding wall (2) surrounding the reactor pressure vessel. The vertical and circumferential rails as a unit are retained by the gamma-ray shielding member (84) through oscillation prevention means (86).

Abstract: An ultrasonic flaw detector for detecting any flaw existing in the inner peripheral corner section of the joint portion between the barrel of a nuclear reactor pressure vessel and each of a plurality of cylindrical nozzles projecting from the barrel, by means of an ultrasonic wave applied from the outer peripheral corner section of the joint portion. The flaw detector has a probe pivotable around an axis which is made to follow up the locus of the center of curvature in the rounded surface of the outer peripheral corner section during the movement of the probe around the nozzle. According to this arrangement, it is possible to achieve a full automatic and remote control of the flaw detector except the attaching and detaching of the same, and to facilitate the processing of the signals representing the result of the flaw detection.

Abstract: A semi-automatic scanner for ultrasonic flaw detection comprises a carriage travelling on a guide rail, a guide arm extending in a direction transverse to the travel direction of the carriage and supported by the carriage so as to pivot in a plane transverse to the travel direction of the carriage, a probe holder slidably supported by the arm, and a probe mounted on said probe holder so as to pivot about two axes transverse to each other. One of the axes is generally in parallel to the travel direction of the carriage. The carriage is driven by a motor, and the probe is moved by manual or motor-driving operation in a direction transverse to the travel direction of the carriage while pressing the probe on a surface to be inspected, whereby the probe accurately follows the surface even if the surface is curved.