Fiber Optic Calorimetry
A twin-bridge calorimeter using optical fiber as the sensor element was constructed and tested. This system demonstrates the principle and capability of using optical fibers for heat-flow measurements of special nuclear material. This calorimeter uses piezoelectric-generated phase-carrier modulation with subsequent electronic signal processes to allow phase shifts as small as 1 microradian ({micro}rad) to be measured. The sensing element consists of 21-m lengths of single-mode optical fiber wrapped around sample and reference chambers. The sensitivity of the calorimeter was determined to be 74 radians (rad) of phase shift per milliwatt of thermal power. One milliwatt of thermal power is equivalent to 400 mg of plutonium (6% {sup 240}Pu). The system noise base was about 0.2 rad, equivalent to about 1 mg of plutonium.
- Research Organization:
- Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Nonproliferation and National Security (NN) (US)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-36
- OSTI ID:
- 763148
- Report Number(s):
- LA-UR-97-4176; TRN: US0100393
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: OSS Milestone Report; PBD: 12 Dec 1997
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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