In this paper we present a computational exercise for shut-down dose rate calculations for the JET tokamak using the in-house developed JSIR2S code package as part of its validation. The computation ...is performed in two parts: neutron transport and transport of secondary gamma radiation. In order to calculate neutron activation reaction rates with sufficiently low variance, hybrid variance reduction techniques using the ADVANTG code have been utilized. Probability based sampling of secondary source particles was performed. Calculated gamma dose rates after shut down are compared with dose rate measurements performed on site using ionization chambers. The
C/E
agreement for 1
st
octant is between 0
.
8 to 1 while statistically meaningfull results for the 2
nd
octant are yet to be obtained.
The JSI TRIGA reactor has several irradiation facilities with well characterized neutron fields. The characterization was performed by measurements and by utilizing Monte Carlo particle transport ...computational methods. Because of this, JSI TRIGA has become a reference center for neutron irradiation of detectors for ATLAS experiment (CERN). Thorough γ characterization of the reactor is however yet to be performed. Current Monte Carlo particle transport code only account for the prompt generation of neutron induced γ rays, which have been characterized, but are neglecting the time dependent delayed part, which may in some cases amount to more then 30% of total γ flux in an operation reactor, and is the only source of γ-rays after reactor shutdown. Several common approaches of modeling delayed -rays , namely D1S and R2S exist. In this paper an in-house developed R2S method code is described, coupling a Monte Carlo particle transport code MCNP6 and neutron activation code FISPACT-II, with intermediate steps performed by custom Python scripts. An example of its capabilities is presented in terms of evaluation of utilization of JSI TRIGA nuclear fuel as a viable γ-ray source. In the model, fresh nuclear fuel is considered and a silicon pipe sample is modeled in. Fuel activities, dose and kerma rates on the sample, as well as emitted γ-ray spectra and isotopic contribution to the contact dose are calculated and presented.
The present article provides an overview of the design of a three-dimensional (3D) full-core mapping system for the CROCUS reactor, operated at the École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), ...Switzerland. The system is composed of 149 miniature neutron detectors distributed within the core double lattice at three main axial levels. The miniature detector technology is based on the optimization of the well-proven coupling of a miniature ZnS:
6
LiF(Ag) scintillator to a state-of-the-art silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) via jacketed optical fibers. The challenges in the mechanical design, the detector optimization, the core criticality, and the development of the acquisition electronics are strongly interconnected and their combination is addressed in this article. The 3D full-core mapping system is foreseen to be installed in CROCUS in autumn 2021 and it will pave the way for the investigation of 3D dynamic phenomena in nuclear reactor cores.
In this paper, two main exercises have been carried out to describe the effect that varying an albedo boundary condition has in the computation of observables such as decay heat, neutron emission ...rate and nuclide inventory from a PWR fuel assembly (or a configuration of assemblies) during a depletion scenario. The SERPENT2 code was then employed to emphasize the importance of modeling a proper boundary condition for such purposes. Moreover, the effect of taking into account more than a single fuel-pin region for depletion studies while varying the type of boundary condition, was also accounted for. The first exercise has the main objective of comparing in a single fuel assembly the albedo variations ranging from 1.1 up to full vacuum conditions. By comparing to the reference assembly (considered to be the case of full reflective conditions), relative differences up to +17% were observed in decay heat and up to almost -30% in neutron emissions. Also, a clear dependence on the albedo was detected if more than one depletable zone was considered while computing the integral value of observables of interest. Regarding the second exercise, where a 3 × 3 configuration of fuel assemblies is being now considered with a reflector section in the middle, a negligible effect on the observables was observed for the single fuel pin zone case; instead, an effect in the
244
Cm computation when analyzing two fuel pin-zones produced a change in the neutron emission rate during cooling time up to 2.5% (while comparing it to the reference single assembly case).
Silicon carbide diodes for neutron detection Coutinho, José; Torres, Vitor J.B.; Capan, Ivana ...
Nuclear instruments & methods in physics research. Section A, Accelerators, spectrometers, detectors and associated equipment,
01/2021, Letnik:
986
Journal Article
Recenzirano
In the last two decades we have assisted to a rush towards finding a 3He-replacing technology capable of detecting neutrons emitted from fissile isotopes. The demand stems from applications like ...nuclear war-head screening or preventing illicit traffic of radiological materials. Semiconductor detectors stand among the strongest contenders, particularly those based on materials possessing a wide band gap like silicon carbide (SiC). We review the workings of SiC-based neutron detectors, along with several issues related to material properties, device fabrication and testing. The paper summarizes the experimental and theoretical work carried out within the E-SiCure project (Engineering Silicon Carbide for Border and Port Security), co-funded by the NATO Science for Peace and Security Programme. The main goal was the development of technologies to support the fabrication of radiation-hard silicon carbide detectors of special nuclear materials. Among the achievements, we have the development of successful Schottky barrier based detectors and the identification of the main carrier life-time-limiting defects in the SiC active areas, either already present in pristine devices or introduced upon exposure to radiation fields. The physical processes involved in neutron detection are described. Material properties as well as issues related to epitaxial growth and device fabrication are addressed. The presence of defects in as-grown material, as well as those introduced by ionizing radiation are reported. We finally describe several experiments carried out at the Jozef Stefan Institute TRIGA Mark II reactor (Ljubljana, Slovenia), where a set of SiC-based neutron detectors were tested, some of which being equipped with a thermal neutron converter layer. We show that despite the existence of large room for improvement, Schottky barrier diodes based on state-of-the-art 4H-SiC are closing the gap between gas- and semiconductor-based detectors regarding their sensitivity.
Three 1-mm
3
miniature fiber-coupled scintillators have been used to perform cm-wise resolution measurements of the thermal neutron flux within experimental channels of the SUR-100 facility, a zero ...power thermal reactor operated by the Institute of Nuclear Technology and Energy Systems at the University of Stuttgart. The detection system is developed at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne in collaboration with the Paul Scherrer Institut. Thermal neutrons count rates were measured along the experimental channels I and II, which cross the reactor at the center and tangentially to the core, respectively. The reactor was modelled with the Monte Carlo neutron transport code Serpent-2.1.31. The comparison of experimental and computed reaction rate distributions showed a good agreement within the core region, with discrepancies within 2σ. An unexpected discrepancy, probably caused by a geometric inconsistency in the computational model of the reactor, was observed in the reflector region of the experimental channel I, where a 20% difference (i.e. 8σ) was found between experimental and simulated results. Significant discrepancies, respectively worth 10σ and 15σ, were noticed at distance, in the lead shielding region, for both experimental channels I and II. In addition, reaction rate gradients across the 2.6 cm and 5.4 cm diameters of both channels were measured. A horizontal reaction rate gradient of (9.09 ± 0.20) % was measured within 2.4 cm across the diameter of the experimental channel II, with a difference from computed results of 2%. The absence of a vertical reaction rate gradient inside the experimental channel I was confirmed by measurements.
Constant improvements of the computational power and methods as well as demands of accurate and reliable measurements for reactor operation and safety require a continuous upgrade of the ...instrumentation. In particular, nuclear sensors used in nuclear fission reactors (research or power reactors) or in nuclear fusion facilities are operated under intense mixed neutron and gamma-ray fields, and need to be calibrated and modeled to provide selective and accurate neutron and gamma-ray measurements.
The French Atomic Energy and Alternative Energies Commission (CEA) and the Jožef Stefan Institute (JSI) have started an experimental program dedicated to a detailed experimental benchmark with analysis using Monte Carlo particle transport calculations and a series of neutron and gamma-ray sensor types used in the JSI TRIGA Mark II reactor.
CEA has setup a simplified TRIPOLI-4® modeling scheme of the JSI TRIGA reactor based on the information available in the IRPhEP benchmark in order to facilitate analysis of future neutron and gamma-ray measurements. These allow the CEA to perform a TRIPOLI-4 instrumentation calculation scheme benchmarked with the JSI MCNP model.
This paper presents the main results of this CEA calculation scheme application and the analysis of their comparison to the JSI results obtained in 2012 with the MCNP5 & ENDF/B-VII.0 calculation scheme. This paper will conclude with some information about the new experimental program to be carried out in 2022 in the TRIGA reactor core.
In 2016, the “E-SiCure” project (standing for “Engineering Silicon Carbide for Border and Port Security”), funded by the NATO Science for Peace and Security Programme was launched. The main objective ...is to combine theoretical, experimental and applied research towards the development of radiation-hard SiC-based detectors of special nuclear materials (SNM), with the end goal to enhance border and port security barriers. Prototype neutron detectors, configured as 4H-SiC-based Schottky barrier diodes, were developed for the detection of secondary charged particles (tritons, alphas and lithium atoms) which are the result of thermal neutron reactions on
10
B and
6
LiF layers above the surface of the 4H-SiC diodes. We designed a stand-alone prototype detection system, consisting of a preamplifier, shaping amplifier and a multichannel analyser operated by a laptop computer, for testing of neutron detector prototypes at the Jožef Stefan Institute (JSI) TRIGA reactor using a broad beam of reactor neutrons. The reverse bias for the detector diode and the power to electronic system were provided by a standalone battery-powered voltage source. The detector functionality was established through measurements using an
241
Am alpha particle source. Two dedicated experimental campaigns were performed at the JSI TRIGA reactor. The registered pulse height spectra from the detectors, using both
10
B and
6
LiF neutron converting layers, clearly demonstrated the neutron detection abilities of the SiC detector prototypes. The computed neutron detection sensitivity of the single prototype detectors demonstrates that scaling SiC detectors into larger arrays, of dimensions relevant for border and port radiation detectors, could enable neutron sensitivity levels matching gas-based detector technology.
The transfer function is an important characteristic quantity of a nuclear reactor, since it contains the kinetic parameters. It expresses the response of a nuclear reactor to a disturbance of a ...certain frequency. If it is determined experimentally, it can be used to draw conclusions about the kinetic parameters. This article presents results of measurements of the zero power transfer function of the AKR-2 reactor at TU Dresden together with new data analysis methods. These measurements are compared to the theoretical zero power transfer function with kinetic parameters obtained via Monte Carlo simulations with MCNP and Serpent. To this end, advanced data analysis techniques based on a bootstrapping algorithms are employed. These techniques suppress the signal outside multiples of the fundamental frequency and additionally allow to obtain the full probability distribution of a peak in the frequency domain. This allowed for a reliable estimation of the mean value and uncertainty estimates of measured data of the zero power transfer function and the quantification of deviations between the experiments and the computations. It also made it possible to determine the phase of the zero power transfer function of AKR-2 for the first time. The experiments and computations are in agreement within the estimated uncertainties.
In 2016, the NATO Science for Peace and Security Programme funded research project ”Engineering Silicon Carbide for Border and Port Security” — E-SiCure was launched, its objective being the ...development of radiation-hard silicon carbide (SiC) based detectors of special nuclear materials (SNM), with the aim to enhance border and port security barriers. Detector prototypes based on SiC Schottky Barrier Diodes (SBDs) and neutron converter films were developed. This paper presents the results of a dedicated experimental testing campaign performed at the Jožef Stefan Institute (JSI) TRIGA reactor in which several SiC detector prototypes equipped with 10B and 6LiF converter films were irradiated in the Dry Chamber of the reactor. The obtained results demonstrate a clearly measurable neutron response, which varies linearly with the neutron flux. The measured particle spectra from the SiC detectors exhibit a clear structure, attributable to the nature and energy of secondary particles originating as reaction products from nuclear reactions involving 10B and 6Li isotopes. The determined sensitivity of the detectors, their active volume being 1 mm × 1 mm × 25 μm, 1 mm × 1 mm × 69 μm and 1 mm × 1 mm × 170 μm, was of the order of 2 × 10−5 counts per second, per unit of neutron flux counts s−1 per n cm−2s−1 (for neutron energies between 0 and 5 eV). Scaling the detection sensitivity by a factor of 105, i.e. to an array with a surface of around 20 cm × 2 m, comparable to large BF3 or 3He detectors, would theoretically enable an overall sensitivity of around 2 counts s−1 per n cm−2s−1, which is already comparable to typical neutron sensitivity values of gas detectors, in the range from several to over 100 counts s−1 per n cm−2s−1. Due to its outstanding tolerance to harsh environments (including high temperatures and radiation fields) and superior electronic properties when compared to other semiconductors, SiC is a promising base material for the fabrication of solid-state detectors with stable and long life-time. Improvements in sensitivity combined with the capability of fabricating large modules (SiC arrays), could make SiC an important detection technology, applicable also in the context of border and port security barrier monitoring.
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