Combined analysis of neutron and photon flux measurements for the Jules Horowitz reactor core mapping

Conference · Fri Jul 01 00:00:00 EDT 2011

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1109/ANIMMA.2011.6172905· OSTI ID:22039816

Fourmentel, D; Villard, J F; Lyoussi, A ^[1]; Reynard-Carette, C ^[2]; Bignan, G; Chauvin, J P; Gonnier, C; Guimbal, P; Malo, J Y ^[1]; Carette, M; Janulyte, A; Merroun, O; Brun, J; Zerega, Y; Andre, J ^[2]

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1. DEN Reactor Studies Dept., French Nuclear Energy and Alternative Energies Commission, CEA Cadarache, 13108 Saint Paul-Lez-Durance (France)
2. Laboratoire Chimie Provence LCP UMR 6264, Univ. of Provence, Centre St. Jerome, 13397 Marseille Cedex 20 (France)

We study the combined analysis of nuclear measurements to improve the knowledge of the irradiation conditions in the experimental locations of the future Jules Horowitz Reactor (JHR). The goal of the present work is to measure more accurately neutron flux, photon flux and nuclear heating in the reactor. In a Material Testing Reactor (MTR), nuclear heating is a crucial parameter to design the experimental devices to be irradiated in harsh nuclear conditions. This parameter drives the temperature of the devices and of the samples. The numerical codes can predict this parameter but in-situ measurements are necessary to reach the expected accuracy. For this reason, one objective of the IN-CORE program [1] is to study the combined measurements of neutron and photon flux and their cross advanced interpretation. It should be reminded that both neutron and photon sensors are not totally selective as their signals are due to neutron and photon interactions. We intend to measure the neutron flux by three different kinds of sensors (Uranium Fission chamber, Plutonium Fission chamber and Self Powered Neutron Detector), the photon flux by two different sensors (Ionization chamber and Self Powered Gamma Detector) and the nuclear heating by two different ones (Differential calorimeter and Gamma Thermometer). For the same parameter, we expect that the use of different kinds of sensors will allow a better estimation of the aimed parameter by mixing different spectrum responses and different neutron and gamma contributions. An experimental test called CARMEN-1 is scheduled in OSIRIS reactor (CEA Saclay - France) at the end of 2011, with the goal to map irradiation locations in the reactor reflector to get a first validation of the analysis model. This article focuses on the sensor selection for CARMEN-1 experiment and to the way to link neutron and photon flux measurements in view to reduce their uncertainties but also to better assess the neutron and photon contributions to nuclear heating. (authors)

• OSTI ID: 22039816
• Resource Relation: Conference: ANIMMA 2011: 2. International Conference on Advancements in Nuclear Instrumentation, Measurement Methods and their Applications, Ghent (Belgium), 6-9 Jun 2011; Other Information: Country of input: France; 22 refs.; IEEE Catalog Number: CFP1124I-CDR
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
ACCURACY
FISSION CHAMBERS
IRRADIATION
JULES HOROWITZ REACTOR
MAPPING
NEUTRON FLUX
OSIRIS REACTOR
PHOTONS
PLUTONIUM
SELF-POWERED GAMMA DETECTORS
SELF-POWERED NEUTRON DETECTORS
SENSORS
SHOWER COUNTERS
SIGNALS
SPECTRA
THERMOMETERS
URANIUM
VALIDATION