Gamma spectrometry at OSIRIS. Determination of the power and combustion rate of irradiated fuel elements

An original gamma spectrometer is available at Saclay near the core of the Osiris reactor. With such a device, it is possible to investigate nuclear fuel elements irradiated at Osiris or originating from power reactors. It is quite possible to build devices based on this principle in nuclear power reactors, more particularly in water reactors. With such a device, it is possible to follow the evolution in space and with time of a large number of fission products, and from there to draw precious conclusions relative to reactor safety (e.g. failed element detection) and to fuel economy (i.e. determination of combustion rate). The general characteristics of the device are given as well as its applications: determination of the mass combustion and of the linear power of an irradiated element. A non-destructive, versatile and fast means of investigation is therefore given by the installation of gamma spectroscopy inside a reactor