Automation, speed and performance: Babcock & Wilcox provides advanced technology to keep nuclear plants running and workers safe.

• Position: NUCLEAR UPDATE

The nuclear industry's reactor fleet requires safe, fast and reliable inspection and repairs. Charlotte-based Babcock & Wilcox Nuclear Energy Inc. is deploying advanced technology to ensure utilities can get through an inspection and repair outage quickly and return to producing clean energy. The company says its technologies and improved processes also keep workers well within and below safe radiation doses. B&W looks at inspection and repair processes with a focus on automation, speed and performance. In doing so, it has developed technologies to provide utilities with a number of advanced solutions:

* ZR-100, for steam generator inspection and repair: Some of the industry's fastest steam generator inspection and repair programs are provided with the use of the ZR-100 robot, which reduces equipment requirements and speeds up the tube eddy current inspection process. The high degree of automation and efficiency of the ZR-100 system shortens the cycle time, which keeps outages on schedule and below dose targets.

* Archer, for reactor vessel closure heads inspection and repair: Archer is the only system of its kind delivering high-speed eddy current testing and ultrasonic testing for reactor vessel closure head inspections. It can also perform automated surface repairs the company says. Archer received industry qualifications from the Electric Power...