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Title: Prototype Stilbene Neutron Collar II

Technical Report ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/1470703· OSTI ID:1470703

A neutron collar using stilbene organic scintillator cells for fast neutron counting is described for the assay of fresh low enriched uranium (LEU) fuel assemblies. The prototype stilbene collar has a form factor similar to standard He-3 based collars and uses an AmLi interrogation neutron source. This report describes the simulation, using a custom LLNL developed MCNPX, of list mode neutron correlation data on various fuel assemblies. Some of these fuel assemblies have neutron absorbers (burnable Gd poisons) and partial defect s (DU, Fe, Pb pins). Calibration curves (doubles vs 235U linear mass density) are presented for fast (with Cd lining) mode of operation. The modeling incorporates LLNL developed neutron crosstalk correction algorithms and stilbene light output detector response quench function. Pileup issues are addressed using the LLNL code GamGen / RadSrc to estimate the flux of alpha decay gammas from the fuel assemblies on the stilbene cells with and without Pb shielding. One panel of the prototype collar using 10 high-efficiency 4”x2” stilbene cells from Inrad Optics, using LLNL developed technology, has been constructed and calibrated for optimal PSD and data acquisition electronics. Several sources (AmLi, AmBe, Cf, DD, and DT) have been measured with the single panel and the measured data is consistent with the modeling. A novel part of our work was to determine the light output (LO) quench function for the Inrad 4” x 2” stilbene crystals through a LLNL-MCNPX simulation based optimized fitting of the measured LO data.

Research Organization:
Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)
DOE Contract Number:
AC52-07NA27344
OSTI ID:
1470703
Report Number(s):
LLNL-TR-757837; 944527
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English