摘要 |
In order to map the power distribution of a nuclear fuel element, a passive detector is laid along the fuel element in situ to record the residual radiation of the fuel element. The detector spatially records the residual radiation as an image in a radioactive reaction product. In the preferred embodiment, the detector comprises a cylindrical casing or wand enshrouding a material which converts incident gamma radiation having an energy level exceeding a preselected threshold to a correspondingly distributed neutron radiation field. The sheath encases a neutron field-sensitive activant, such as gold in the form of a filament longitudinally disposed in the casing. The image of the low-level radiation field can thereafter be analyzed according to relatively risk-free techniques to map the power distribution of the fuel element.
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