Russia Builds Digital Inspection System for Nuclear Fuel Assemblies

A new multi-channel system developed in Novosibirsk dramatically reduces inspection time for fuel assemblies at nuclear power plants—from several hours to just 10 minutes.

Scientists at the Design and Technology Institute in Novosibirsk have developed a digital system for inspecting fuel assemblies used in nuclear power plants. Unlike older systems that could only examine one channel at a time, the new setup can inspect 18 channels simultaneously, streamlining the process significantly.

Fuel assemblies are highly complex components. Each contains narrow guide channels just 1 centimeter in diameter, stretching up to 4.5 meters in length. Previously, inspections relied on single-channel endoscopes and required extensive manual labor. The new system, however, uses up to 19 probes working in parallel, cutting inspection time to just 10 minutes.

The technology was field-tested at the Novosibirsk Chemical Concentrates Plant, a key site for nuclear fuel production. The probes operated continuously for up to 24 hours, delivering full internal scans at angles of 90 degrees or more. All results are automatically logged into a digital database, making analysis and traceability easier than ever.