| This dissertation presents an innovative method of supporting real time imaging of fuel pins and other structures during transient testing. The major fuel-motion detection device that is studied in this dissertation is the Hodoscope that requires collimators. This dissertation provides 1) feasibility of portable cloud chamber without a collimator to track the origin of neutrons, 2) MCNP model and simulation of TREAT core with central fuel element replaced by slotted fuel element that provides an open path between test samples and hodoscope detector, and 3)an analytical approach of obtaining source information from the flux (image) using Back Projection in Mathematica. Another avenue of this dissertation is to support imaging of the test specimen during transient and quantify the mass based on hodogram data. An analytical approach of Filtered Back Projection(FBP) can be used to understand imaging and with the right choice of filter, we can improve the resolution. Multiple illustrations of the Filtered Back Projection (FBP) technique with the right choice of filters are presented in this dissertation. In addition to numerical computations, analytical analysis helps to build insight and this dissertation provides both the analytical and computational analysis of imaging to improve the resolution. Key Words: Hodoscope, cloud chamber, transient testing, collimators, MCNP, TREAT, Filtered Back Projection (FBP), Mathematica, hodogram, filters, resolution, numerical computation, analytical approach |