Performance evaluation of a novel gamma transmission micro-densitometer for PIE of nuclear fuel

Collimated Gamma Transmission Micro-Densitometry (GTMD) is a novel technique proposed to investigate local density variations of nuclear fuel in PIE, with a high spatial resolution. In this work, the first experimental tests of a gamma micro-densitometer are presented and the performance is characterized. The experimental procedures are described, including the aligning process and the calibration methodology. The results demonstrated that for the calibration samples with a thickness above 5 mm, a local density was obtained with a maximum discrepancy of about 2% and a spatial resolution of about 280 mu m. The setup was used for the first test on an irradiated ADOPTTM fuel pellet slice. From the measurement, an average bulk density of about 9.58 g/cm3 was calculated and local density features were observed, possibly related to rim effects or the presence of local cracks. The information acquired also presented valuable information for possible improvements in the setup's performance.