Browns Ferry 360-Inspection Platform

March 15, 2024

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Radiography Shielding

February 20, 2024

Radiography is a non-destructive testing (NDT) technique that uses a radioactive source to detect flaws or defects in the internal structures, typically pipes. This testing process requires an “exclusion zone” to keep workers safe, and the use of shielding shrinks that exclusion zone and improves safety and efficiency. NPO T-Flex Bismuth blankets are large and […]

Custom Fit Meter Shielding

March 6, 2023

Some shielding applications require a precise fit in order to shield effectively. The meter of this instrument was a streaming source for the workers operating it. To fit the area, NPO used drawings of the steel housing and designed T-Flex Tungsten shielding that fit snuggly around the meter. 3D printed molds were used to create […]

Vogtle Reactor Head Shielding

January 9, 2023

In 2021, Vogtle reached out to NPO to help develop a new shielding package for around the reactor head. Their current system consisted of two rings: one under the head, and one around the outside of the head. Each of these shield rings used 1’ x 6’ 60 lb lead wool blankets. These shielding systems […]

Oconee Reactor Head T-Flex Shielding

June 30, 2022

Reactor head shielding is an essential part of every refuel outage. Oconee Nuclear Station sought to upgrade the shielding used at the bottom of the reactor head, opting to use lead-free T-Flex Bismuth blankets. Specifically designed for the application, these blankets T-Flex blankets were covered in blue PVC with Oconee specified printing that clearly indicated […]

Brunswick Permanent Valve Shield Box

June 29, 2022

Brunswick Nuclear Station had a valve that was causing a room to be a locked high radiation area. They wished to implement a permanent shielding package in order to down post the room. The valve was set to be removed during an upcoming outage. The Radiation Protection team reached out to NPO for a solution. […]

Primary Sample Panel Shielding

September 10, 2021

South Texas Project had long used lead wool blankets to shield their Primary Sample Panel, an area of the site within Chemistry that sees a lot of traffic. These lead wool blankets were affixed to the Primary Sample Panel via independent high strength magnets that attached to the grommets. With the blankets turned on their […]

Pressurizer Spray Line Shielding

June 9, 2021

  South Texas Project required new shielding for a section of the pressurizer spray line. Though the area looks small, the total shield weight was around 850 lb. This was due to the 6.5″ diameter of the pipe and the 1.5″ thick shielding pieces. But despite the size and weight of the pieces, installation was […]

T-Flex Blankets

February 10, 2021

How many lead wool blankets does your site deploy every outage? Despite best efforts, do your lead blankets look sloppy while draped over pipes and hot spots or seem mashed and bent around corners and tight spaces? How long have they been there?  How are they handling the use and abuse? Lead wool blankets, while […]

Permanent Pipe Shielding for Davis-Besse

November 17, 2020

NPO was brought on to provide shielding for Mechanical Penetrations Room No. 1 at Davis-Besse. This room featured a variety of pipe runs with many valves, bends, and reductions throughout as well as many hot spots. Using a combination of drawing information and practical measurements taken on site, NPO provided a shielding package using T-Flex […]

Magnetic ARGOS Booth Shielding

September 3, 2020

Byron had an issue with an ARGOS Zeus unit in the main exit area of the RCA. Background gamma radiation from a line in the overhead was shining down and causing false alarms on the gamma detectors to the point of making the unit inoperable. Due to the position of the Argos unit it was […]

Boiler Plate Shields

April 28, 2020

Inside the steam generators of CANDU nuclear power plants, a divider plate separates the hot leg from the cold leg. Dozens of bolts hold this divider plate together, and these bolts trap hot particles that are a major source of radiation during inspections. NPO designed magnetic shielding designed to fit around each bolt. Since it […]

Vertical Storage Cask Gap Shielding

November 7, 2019

“Discrete exposure savings listed at 41 mrem. However, the shielding also provided critical radiological configuration control during this high profile first time evolution.” -Timothy Bigler, Point Beach Nuclear Point Beach was set to perform a Vertical Storage Cask inspection and required shielding for the VCC/MSB gap created when the shield ring was removed. The need […]

T-Flex Bottle and Vial Shields

November 12, 2018

NPO uses its custom part and mold making capabilities to produce form fitting shielding for bottles and vials. Bottles and vials filled with radioactive samples require safe storage and transportation. These shields provide just that and can be made to specific attenuation goals for a variety of different isotopes and bottle sizes. Handles and locking […]

Bellows Shielding

March 13, 2018

For BWR plants, shielding the inner bellows is particularly challenging. During refueling operation the concrete shield plugs above the reactor well are removed and replaced by water. This water filled gap becomes a source for both radiation and contamination. NPO designed a specialized system to address the concerns with shielding this area. Some of the […]

Conoseals Shielding

June 9, 2017

This past spring outage season, NPO collaborated with a plant to provide them with custom shielding for their Conoseals during Core Exit Thermocouple replacement activities. Unit 1 and Unit 2 had different Conoseal structures, and the challenge was to model a shielding package that could be used for both elements interchangeably. The shielding package was […]

T-Flex Pipe and Valve Shields

February 3, 2017

T-Flex is the most versatile shielding material that NPO has to offer. Its ability to be poured as a liquid and cured as a flexible solid makes it ideal for fitting the maximum amount of shielding around a component while keeping space and weight to a minimum. The most common way this is put into […]

Steam Dryer Flood Up Water Shielding

July 28, 2016

Tungsten T-Flex® was selected as the best material to shield divers during a Steam Dryer repair.   Approval for use in flood up water required chemical testing for leachables and heavy metals.  The end result was an 8 ft X 5 ft shield wall constructed by attaching T-Flex panels to a metal frame.  Each side of […]

New Cono Seals Shielding

March 9, 2016

NPO’s new Cono Seals shield package exemplifies another unique and ideal application for T – Flex®. The Cono Seals are a significant dose contributor during reactor head disassembly and, most recently, reactor head cavitation peening in PWR’s. NPO used Tungsten T – Flex to achieve a HVL (half value layer) of shielding from Co – […]