The Development of 3-D Tomography Method Based on Gamma-Scanning of Irradiated Fuel Rods

Abstract

The tomographic method, consisting in the reconstruction of the images fiom their projections, is a relatively new nondestructive method, used in the post-irradiation examination of the nuclear fuel. The purpose of the method is to determine the distribution of gamma radioactive fission products in a cross-section of an irradiated nuclear fuel rods. More than 40 fuel rods were investigated at the INR hot cell facility, using this nondestructive technique. The method is used in conjunction with the gamma scanning method and the equipment used for tomographic investigation of the irradiated nuclear fuel is the same to that usually used for gamma scanning investigation. The paper presents the principles of the Gamma Emission Computed Tomography (GECT), as well as the results and performance of this method, when applied to the investigation of some types of &el rods, irradiated in the TRIGA 14 MWm materials testing reactor.