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Title: Calculations of helium production in materials irradiated at spallation neutron sources

Journal Article · · Transactions of the American Nuclear Society
OSTI ID:644296
; ; ;  [1];  [2]
  1. North Carolina State Univ., Raleigh, NC (United States)
  2. Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States)

Experience with materials irradiated in fission reactor neutron environments has shown that radiation-produced helium can exacerbate the degradation of properties caused by radiation-produced defects and defect clusters. Whereas fission-reactor neutron energies extend up to {approximately}10 MeV, the neutrons and protons at spallation neutron sources reach up to 1,000 to 2,000 MeV, and He production is much greater. For example, calculations have shown for the innermost shell of the containment vessel of the spallation neutron source, under collaborative design by several national laboratories led by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, that full-power displacement and He production rates are {approximately}20 displacements per atom (dpa)/yr and 1,000 atomic parts per million (appm) He/yr, which corresponds to 50 appm He/dpa. By contrast, materials in fission reactor cores usually experience <1 appm He/dpa. In this paper, the authors summarize methods and results for the calculation of He production cross sections appropriate to the neutron and proton energies to which target and containment materials are exposed at spallation neutron sources. The principal calculational tool is LAHET or, more broadly, the LAHET code system (LCS).

OSTI ID:
644296
Report Number(s):
CONF-980606-; ISSN 0003-018X; TRN: 98:008223
Journal Information:
Transactions of the American Nuclear Society, Vol. 78; Conference: Annual meeting of the American Nuclear Society, Nashville, TN (United States), 7-12 Jun 1998; Other Information: PBD: 1998
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English