TY - GEN
T1 - Flux sensor evaluations at the atr critical facility
AU - Unruh, Troy
AU - Rempe, Joy
AU - Nigg, David
AU - Hart, Paul
AU - Imel, George
AU - Harris, Jason
AU - Bonebrake, Eric
PY - 2010
Y1 - 2010
N2 - A joint Idaho State University (ISU) / /Idaho National Laboratory (INL) ATR National Scientific User Facility (ATR NSUF) project was recently initiated to evaluate new real-time state-of-the-art in-pile flux detection sensors. A new capability for evaluating flux detectors, which includes specialized instrument positioning hardware and associated software, was developed to facilitate these evaluations at INL's Advanced Test Reactor Critical (ATRC) facility. Initially, the project is comparing the accuracy, response time, and performance of French Atomic Energy Commission (CEA)-developed miniature fission chambers, specialized self-powered neutron detectors (SPNDs) developed by the Argentinean National Energy Commission (CNEA), specially developed commercial SPNDs, and back-to-back fission (BTB) chambers developed by Argonne National Laboratory (ANL). Calculations are performed to assess the performance of and reduce uncertainties in flux detection sensors and compare data obtained from these sensors with existing indirect methods employed at the ATRC. Ultimately, results of this effort will be used to select the detector that can provide the best online regional ATRC power measurement. It is anticipated that this may offer the potential to increase the ATRCs current power limit and its ability to perform low-level irradiation experiments. In addition, the data provide insights about the viability of using these detectors in the ATR. Hence, this effort complements current activities to improve ATR software tools, computational protocols and in-core instrumentation under the ATR Modeling, Simulation and V&V Upgrade initiative, as well as the work to replace nuclear instrumentation under the ATR Life Extension Project (LEP) and provide support to the ATR NSUF. This paper reports on the status of this effort, including descriptions of the specialized fixturing developed to allow various types of detectors to be evaluated. First year test plans are described to demonstrate the capabilities now available at ATRC for flux sensor evaluations.
AB - A joint Idaho State University (ISU) / /Idaho National Laboratory (INL) ATR National Scientific User Facility (ATR NSUF) project was recently initiated to evaluate new real-time state-of-the-art in-pile flux detection sensors. A new capability for evaluating flux detectors, which includes specialized instrument positioning hardware and associated software, was developed to facilitate these evaluations at INL's Advanced Test Reactor Critical (ATRC) facility. Initially, the project is comparing the accuracy, response time, and performance of French Atomic Energy Commission (CEA)-developed miniature fission chambers, specialized self-powered neutron detectors (SPNDs) developed by the Argentinean National Energy Commission (CNEA), specially developed commercial SPNDs, and back-to-back fission (BTB) chambers developed by Argonne National Laboratory (ANL). Calculations are performed to assess the performance of and reduce uncertainties in flux detection sensors and compare data obtained from these sensors with existing indirect methods employed at the ATRC. Ultimately, results of this effort will be used to select the detector that can provide the best online regional ATRC power measurement. It is anticipated that this may offer the potential to increase the ATRCs current power limit and its ability to perform low-level irradiation experiments. In addition, the data provide insights about the viability of using these detectors in the ATR. Hence, this effort complements current activities to improve ATR software tools, computational protocols and in-core instrumentation under the ATR Modeling, Simulation and V&V Upgrade initiative, as well as the work to replace nuclear instrumentation under the ATR Life Extension Project (LEP) and provide support to the ATR NSUF. This paper reports on the status of this effort, including descriptions of the specialized fixturing developed to allow various types of detectors to be evaluated. First year test plans are described to demonstrate the capabilities now available at ATRC for flux sensor evaluations.
KW - Flux sensors
KW - In-pile instrumentation
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/79958256164
M3 - Conference contribution
AN - SCOPUS:79958256164
SN - 9781617822667
T3 - 7th International Topical Meeting on Nuclear Plant Instrumentation, Control, and Human-Machine Interface Technologies 2010, NPIC and HMIT 2010
SP - 740
EP - 752
BT - 7th International Topical Meeting on Nuclear Plant Instrumentation, Control, and Human-Machine Interface Technologies 2010, NPIC and HMIT 2010
T2 - 7th International Topical Meeting on Nuclear Plant Instrumentation, Control, and Human-Machine Interface Technologies 2010, NPIC and HMIT 2010
Y2 - 7 November 2010 through 11 November 2010
ER -