Areva announced it has collected data on temperature and surface conditions inside dry casks for spent nuclear fuel using instruments developed by its Transnuclear subsidiary.In a release Thursday, the company said it deployed the SaltSmart system to take direct-contact thermocouple readings of surface temperatures and collect surface deposits from inside the containers. “We look forward to partnering with utilities and the industry to ensure the safety and reliability of used fuel storage canisters for extended periods of time and in all types of environments,” Transnuclear CEO Michael McMahon said in a release.The technology was first developed for the Navy to check surfaces for chlorides before painting. The new system, its instruments refined for application at nuclear plants, was used by a utility to inspect casks put in use in the 1990s.