Performance of neon-thermosyphon in the Texas Cold Neutron Source

Journal Article · Sat Dec 31 04:00:00 EST 1994 · Transactions of the American Nuclear Society

OSTI ID:89054

Rios-Martinez, C; Uenlue, K; Bauer, T L; Wehring, B W ^[1]

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1. Univ. of Texas, Austin, TX (United States)

The Texas Cold Neutron Source (TCNS) is operated in one of the beam ports of the UT-TRIGA 1-MW research reactor. Beams of cold neutrons are produced by means of a cooled moderator contained in an aluminum chamber (7.5-cm diam x 2 cm thick) located in the graphite reflector close to the reactor core. The moderator, mesitylene, is maintained at cryogenic temperatures ({approximately} 30 K) by a 3-m-long thermosyphon (heat pipe) using neon as the working fluid. The neon thermosyphon, a 1.9-cm-diam aluminum tube, runs from the {open_quotes}cold head{close_quotes} of a cryorefrigerator, located outside the reactor shield, down to the moderator chamber with a slope of 2.5 deg. Neon gas is supplied from a 6-l reservoir, which is also outside the biological shield and is never valved off from the thermosyphon. Details of the various TCNS components have been given elsewhere. This paper focuses on the thermosyphon behavior in order to provide an understanding of its performance.

• OSTI ID: 89054
• Report Number(s): CONF-941102--
• Journal Information: Transactions of the American Nuclear Society, Journal Name: Transactions of the American Nuclear Society Vol. 71; ISSN TANSAO; ISSN 0003-018X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

07 ISOTOPE AND RADIATION SOURCES
22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS
COLD NEUTRONS
NEUTRON SOURCE FACILITIES
PERFORMANCE
THERMOSYPHONS
TRIGA-TEXAS REACTOR