Detection of Neutrons Emitted From Reactor Primary Circuit Water by Discontinuing Flow Method

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Viererbl ◽  
A. Kolros ◽  
M. Vinš ◽  
V. Klupák
Keyword(s):  
Fission Products ◽  
Failure Detection ◽  
Primary Circuit ◽  
Activity Measurement ◽  
High Signal ◽  
Delayed Neutrons ◽  
Signal Decay ◽  
Flow Interruption ◽  
Activation Products ◽  
On Line

Abstract On-line activity measurement of fission products in a primary circuit water is often used for a fuel failure detection in research and power nuclear reactors. When gamma spectrometry is used for the activity measurement, high signal from 16N radionuclide and other activation products make the detection of fission products difficult. The detection of delayed neutrons emitted from several fission products is also used; however, if the detector is placed near the outlet coolant pipe, the signal from the delayed neutrons cannot be distinguished from the neutrons emitted due to 17N decay and deuterium photofission, with exception of a reactor scram condition. In this paper, a method of discontinuing the flow of primary circuit water is described. This method is based on the water flowing through a bypass on the outlet pipe to the sampling container and the flow is periodically temporarily interrupted, e.g., using 200 s + 200 s cycles. Neutrons located in the vicinity of the sampling container are continuously detected with a measuring sampling time of less than 2 s. The signal part, corresponding to the delayed neutrons, is evaluated by the signal decay analyzing during the flow interruption. The main sources of delayed neutrons suitable for this method are 137I, 87Br, and 88Br radionuclides with half-lives of 24.5 s, 55.7 s, and 16.5 s, respectively. The method was theoretically analyzed and experimentally verified in the LVR-15 research reactor.

Analysis of Radioactive Source Term for Modular HTGR During Normal Operation

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jianzhu Cao ◽  
Tao Liu ◽  
Yuanyu Wu ◽  
Hong Li ◽  
Yuanzhong Liu
Keyword(s):  
Source Term ◽  
Noble Gas ◽  
Fission Products ◽  
Radioactive Source ◽  
Normal Operation ◽  
Design Parameters ◽  
Primary Circuit ◽  
Secondary Circuit ◽  
Activation Products ◽  
Basic Prediction

The methods of radioactive source term analysis are introduced in detail for the modular high temperature gas cooled reactor in China. Radioactive fission products and activation products produced in the reactor are described. For fission products, the emphasis is on the process from production through release to the environment for noble gas, iodine and long-lived metallic nuclides. For activation products, it mainly introduces the behaviors of H-3 and C-14. Especially the permeation process from primary circuit to secondary circuit is described for H-3. Using the preliminary design parameters of demonstration HTGR in China, basic prediction of radioactive source term is done and the results are given.

Acquisition of EELS spectra for high-resolution spectroscopy

1993 ◽  
Vol 51 ◽  
pp. 578-579
Author(s):  
Maoxu Qian ◽  
Mehmet Sarikaya ◽  
Edward A. Stern
Keyword(s):  
Energy Loss ◽  
Detection System ◽  
High Resolution Spectroscopy ◽  
High Signal ◽  
Short Report ◽  
Edge Structure ◽  
High Background ◽  
Gain Variation ◽  
Sufficient Energy ◽  
On Line

It is difficult, in general, to perform quantitative EELS to determine, for example, relative or absolute compositions of elements with relatively high atomic numbers (using, e.g., K edge energies from 500 eV to 2000 eV), to study ELNES (energy loss near edge structure) signal using the white lines to determine oxidation states, and to analyze EXELFS (extended energy loss fine structure) to study short range ordering. In all these cases, it is essential to have high signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio (low systematical error) with high overall counts, and sufficient energy resolution (∽ 1 eV), requirements which are, in general, difficult to attain. The reason is mainly due to three important inherent limitations in spectrum acquisition with EELS in the TEM. These are (i) large intrinsic background in EELS spectra, (ii) channel-to-channel gain variation (CCGV) in the parallel detection system, and (iii) difficulties in obtaining statistically high total counts (∽106) per channel (CH). Except the high background in the EELS spectrum, the last two limitations may be circumvented, and the S/N ratio may be attained by the improvement in the on-line acquisition procedures. This short report addresses such procedures.

scholarly journals The influence of physical parameters on the in-situ metal carbonyl complex formation studied with the Fast On-line Reaction Apparatus (FORA)

2021 ◽  
Vol 109 (4) ◽  
pp. 261-281
Author(s):  
Yves Wittwer ◽  
Robert Eichler ◽  
Dominik Herrmann ◽  
Andreas Türler
Keyword(s):  
Gas Flow ◽  
Metal Carbonyl ◽  
Fission Products ◽  
Reaction Chamber ◽  
Single Atom ◽  
Physical Parameters ◽  
Carbonyl Complex ◽  
Reaction Conditions ◽  
On Line ◽  
The Impact

Abstract The Fast On-line Reaction Apparatus (FORA) was used to investigate the influence of various reaction parameters onto the formation and transport of metal carbonyl complexes (MCCs) under single-atom chemistry conditions. FORA is based on a 252Cf-source producing short-lived Mo, Tc, Ru and Rh isotopes. Those are recoiling from the spontaneous fission source into a reaction chamber flushed with a gas-mixture containing CO. Upon contact with CO, fission products form volatile MCCs which are further transported by the gas stream to the detection setup, consisting of a charcoal trap mounted in front of a HPGe γ-detector. Depending on the reaction conditions, MCCs are formed and transported with different efficiencies. Using this setup, the impact of varying physical parameters like gas flow, gas pressure, kinetic energy of fission products upon entering the reaction chamber and temperature of the reaction chamber on the formation and transport yields of MCCs was investigated. Using a setup similar to FORA called Miss Piggy, various gas mixtures of CO with a selection of noble gases, as well as N2 and H2, were investigated with respect to their effect onto MCC formation and transport. Based on this measurements, optimized reaction conditions to maximize the synthesis and transport of MCCs are suggested. Explanations for the observed results supported by simulations are suggested as well.

scholarly journals A Safety Re-Evaluation of the AVR Pebble Bed Reactor Operation and Its Consequences for Future HTR Concepts

2008 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rainer Moormann
Keyword(s):  
Fission Product ◽  
End Of Life ◽  
Fission Products ◽  
Normal Operation ◽  
Primary Circuit ◽  
Pebble Bed ◽  
Pebble Bed Reactor ◽  
Hot Gas ◽  
Design Basis ◽  
Gas Tight

The AVR pebble bed reactor (46 MWth) was operated 1967–1988 at coolant outlet temperatures up to 990°C. Also because of a lack of other experience the AVR operation is a basis for future HTRs. This paper deals with insufficiently published unresolved safety problems of AVR and of pebble bed HTRs. The AVR primary circuit is heavily contaminated with dust bound and mobile metallic fission products (Sr-90, Cs-137) which create problems in current dismantling. The evaluation of fission product deposition experiments indicates that the end of life contamination reached several percent of a single core inventory. A re-evaluation of the AVR contamination is performed in order to quantify consequences for future HTRs: The AVR contamination was mainly caused by inadmissible high core temperatures, and not — as presumed in the past — by inadequate fuel quality only. The high AVR core temperatures were detected not earlier than one year before final AVR shut-down, because a pebble bed core cannot be equipped with instruments. The maximum core temperatures were more than 200 K higher than precalculated. Further, azimuthal temperature differences at the active core margin were observed, as unpredictable hot gas currents with temperatures > 1100°C. Despite of remarkable effort these problems are not yet understood. Having the black box character of the AVR core in mind it remains uncertain whether convincing explanations can be found without major experimental R&D. After detection of the inadmissible core temperatures, the AVR hot gas temperatures were strongly reduced for safety reasons. Metallic fission products diffuse in fuel kernel, coatings and graphite and their break through takes place in long term normal operation, if fission product specific temperature limits are exceeded. This is an unresolved weak point of HTRs in contrast to other reactors and is particularly problematic in pebble bed systems with their large dust content. Another disadvantage, responsible for the pronounced AVR contamination, lies in the fact that activity released from fuel elements is distributed in HTRs all over the coolant circuit surfaces and on graphitic dust and accumulates there. Consequences of AVR experience on future reactors are discussed. As long as pebble bed intrinsic reasons for the high AVR temperatures cannot be excluded they have to be conservatively considered in operation and design basis accidents. For an HTR of 400 MWth, 900°C hot gas temperature, modern fuel and 32 fpy the contaminations are expected to approach at least the same order as in AVR end of life. This creates major problems in design basis accidents, for maintenance and dismantling. Application of German dose criteria on advanced pebble bed reactors leads to the conclusion that a pebble bed HTR needs a gas tight containment even if inadmissible high temperatures as observed in AVR are not considered. However, a gas tight containment does not diminish the consequences of the primary circuit contamination on maintenance and dismantling. Thus complementary measures are discussed. A reduction of demands on future reactors (hot gas temperatures, fuel burn-up) is one option; another one is an elaborate R&D program for solution of unresolved problems related to operation and design basis accidents. These problems are listed in the paper.

A New Method for On-line Measurement of the Straightness Error of Machine Tools Using an Acceleration Sensor

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kuo Liu ◽  
Yiming Cui ◽  
Zhisong Liu ◽  
Jiakun Wu ◽  
Yongqing Wang
Keyword(s):  
Machine Tools ◽  
Signal To Noise Ratio ◽  
Measurement Data ◽  
Geometric Error ◽  
Ar Model ◽  
High Signal ◽  
Line Measurement ◽  
On Line ◽  
Straightness Error ◽  
Zero Phase

Abstract In order to improve the poor efficiency in the measurement of the geometric error of machine tools’ linear axes, this paper has presented a method to measure and restructure the geometric error of linear axes that is based on accelerometers. This method takes advantage of the phenomenon that when acceleration is measured under different measuring speeds, different frequencies and amplitudes are produced. The measurement data of the high signal-to-noise ratio for various velocities was fused together and the straightness error of the measured axis was obtained by integrating the acceleration twice. In order to remove the trend terms error in the integration, a zero phase IIR Butterworth filter was designed, which guarantees the signal’s phase invariance after filtering. The data was continued with the AR model to eliminate the endpoints’ effect in the filtering. The proposed method was verified by numerical values and experiments. The results showed that the proposed method has better robustness, a wider bandwidth and a higher efficiency than the methods of measuring by laser interferometer. It is also able to measure the geometric error of linear axes with an accuracy that reaches the micron scale.

Design of Robust Approach for Failure Detection in Dynamic Control Systems

2013 ◽  
pp. 237-259
Author(s):  
Gomaa Zaki El-Far
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Dynamic Control ◽  
Control Process ◽  
Failure Detection ◽  
Global Optimum ◽  
Sampling Time ◽  
Nuclear Power Reactor ◽  
Control Actions ◽  
On Line ◽  
Simulation Results

This paper presents a robust instrument fault detection (IFD) scheme based on modified immune mechanism based evolutionary algorithm (MIMEA) that determines on line the optimal control actions, detects faults quickly in the control process, and reconfigures the controller structure. To ensure the capability of the proposed MIMEA, repeating cycles of crossover, mutation, and clonally selection are included through the sampling time. This increases the ability of the proposed algorithm to reach the global optimum performance and optimize the controller parameters through a few generations. A fault diagnosis logic system is created based on the proposed algorithm, nonlinear decision functions, and its derivatives with respect to time. Threshold limits are implied to improve the system dynamics and sensitivity of the IFD scheme to the faults. The proposed algorithm is able to reconfigure the control law safely in all the situations. The presented false alarm rates are also clearly indicated. To illustrate the performance of the proposed MIMEA, it is applied successfully to tune and optimize the controller parameters of the nonlinear nuclear power reactor such that a robust behavior is obtained. Simulation results show the effectiveness of the proposed IFD scheme based MIMEA in detecting and isolating the dynamic system faults.

scholarly journals Control Experiences Regarding Clearable Materials from Nuclear Power Plants and Nuclear Installations: Scaling Factors Determination and Measurements’ Acceptance Criteria Definition

Environments ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (11) ◽  
pp. 120
Author(s):  
Luca Albertone ◽  
Massimo Altavilla ◽  
Manuela Marga ◽  
Laura Porzio ◽  
Giuseppe Tozzi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Nuclear Power Plants ◽  
Fission Products ◽  
Scaling Factors ◽  
Activation Products ◽  
Long Time ◽  
Nuclear Installation ◽  
Enriched Uranium

Arpa Piemonte has been carrying out, for a long time, controls on clearable materials from nuclear power plants to verify compliance with clearance levels set by ISIN (Ispettorato Nazionale per la Sicurezza Nucleare e la Radioprotezione - National Inspectorate for Nuclear Safety and Radiation Protection) in the technical prescriptions attached to the Ministerial Decree decommissioning authorization or into category A source authorization (higher level of associated risk, according to the categorization defined in the Italian Legislative Decree No. 230/95). After the experience undertaken at the “FN” (Fabbricazioni Nucleari) Bosco Marengo nuclear installation, some controls have been conducted at the Trino nuclear power plant “E. Fermi,” “LivaNova” nuclear installation based in Saluggia, and “EUREX” (Enriched Uranium Extraction) nuclear installation, also based in Saluggia, according to modalities that envisage, as a final control, the determination of γ-emitting radionuclides through in situ gamma spectrometry measurements. Clearance levels’ compliance verification should be performed for all radionuclides potentially present, including those that are not easily measurable (DTM, Difficult To Measure). It is therefore necessary to carry out upstream, based on a representative number of samples, those radionuclides’ determination in order to estimate scaling factors (SF), defined through the logarithmic average of the ratios between the i-th DTM radionuclide concentration and the related key nuclide. Specific radiochemistry is used for defining DTMs’ concentrations, such as Fe-55, Ni-59, Ni-63, Sr-90, Pu-238, and Pu-239/Pu-240. As a key nuclide, Co-60 was chosen for the activation products (Fe-55, Ni-59, Ni-63) and Cs-137 for fission products (Sr-90) and plutonium (Pu- 238, Pu-239/Pu-240, and Pu-241). The presence of very low radioactivity concentrations, often below the detection limits, can make it difficult to determine the related scaling factors. In this work, the results obtained and measurements’ acceptability criteria are presented, defined with ISIN, that can be used for confirming or excluding a radionuclide presence in the process of verifying clearance levels’ compliance. They are also exposed to evaluations regarding samples’ representativeness chosen for scaling factors’ assessment.

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