Method and apparatus for detecting failure of nuclear fuel

A method and an apparatus for detecting failure of nuclear fuel by means of a multi-handle automatic sipper, which comprises a shipper capping operation of mounting a sipper cap of the apparatus for detecting failure of nuclear fuel on the top part of fuel assemblies, an isolation operation of supplying air into the cap after completion of sipper capping operation, thereby forming an air layer, and isolating the fuel assemblies to be detected from other fuel assemblies, a soaking operation of keeping the fuel assemblies in the isolated state for a predetermined period of time, a cell water removal operation of discharging water from system, and a sampling operation of introducing a predetermined amount of cooling water in the fuel assemblies to a sample water receptacle, the operations being provided in sequence, and other operations being carried out in parallel with the aforementioned operations.