Abstract.The paper describes the testing of the NEUTON detection system into CROCUS, the zero-power reactor of the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL). NEUTON is composed of a $4 {\rm mm} \times 4$4 mm ×4 mm sCVD diamond... more
Abstract.The paper describes the testing of the NEUTON detection system into CROCUS, the zero-power reactor of the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL). NEUTON is composed of a $4 {\rm mm} \times 4$4 mm ×4 mm sCVD diamond detector with a 6Li converter and the associated acquisition electronics. It is developed by CIVIDEC Instrumentation GmbH. The use of a diamond detector with converter in the mixed radiation field of a nuclear reactor is challenging because these detectors are sensitive to gamma-rays, fast neutrons and thermal neutrons through conversion in 6Li . In NEUTON, the rejection of gamma-rays is achieved in real time, via the analysis of the signal pulse shape from the detector. To do so, a few signal characteristics (amplitude, area and FWHM) are recorded in the integrated Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGA) of the system. This treatment does not induce any dead time. Measurements in CROCUS demonstrated for the first time the capability of a system like NEUTON to detect and separate fast neutrons, thermal neutrons, and gamma-rays. The system response was shown to be linear with respect to the reactor power (up to 35W) and its thermal sensitivity was found to be $(3.5\pm 0.2)\times 10^{-5}$(3.5±0.2)×10-5 cps/nv.
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This article presents the results of an experimental campaign in the CROCUS zero power reactor aimed at investigating the spatial effects of neutron noise measurements. Neutron noise measurements offer a non-invasive method to determine... more
This article presents the results of an experimental campaign in the CROCUS zero power reactor aimed at investigating the spatial effects of neutron noise measurements. Neutron noise measurements offer a non-invasive method to determine kinetic reactor parameters – such as the prompt decay constant at criticality α = βeff / Λ, the effective delayed neutron fraction βeff, and the mean generation time Λ – for code validation and reactor characterization efforts. Measurements are usually interpreted assuming point kinetic behavior of the reactor. In a point kinetic formulation, the reactor noise and resulting kinetic parameters are the same in all measurement locations. Future experimental programs in CROCUS require measuring the reactor noise further away from the core, deep in the water reflector of the reactor, where the point kinetic assumption may not be valid anymore due to loss of temporal correlation between neutrons. In order to test this hypothesis, we conducted a set of noise experiments, using the CROCUS reactor at criticality, in which two 1g 235U fission chambers were placed at varying distances from the fuel in the reflector. The measured auto power spectrum shape as a function of distance was found to agree within 2σ with point kinetic predictions. At the furthest measured distance, the efficiency was found to be too low for kinetic parameter determination. A possible accelerated decrease of the shape at large distances due to diffusion randomness is suggested, as a decreasing trend is visible at 1σ. Within the point kinetic assumption, we conclude that the efficiency is the dominant parameter with regards to successful noise measurements. This data will serve as a basis for further experiments aiding noise simulation code development efforts
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Abstract The possibility of measuring the gas-phase velocity in a two-phase mixture through the use of neutron noise techniques is demonstrated in the zero-power reactor CROCUS of the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne. It is the... more
Abstract The possibility of measuring the gas-phase velocity in a two-phase mixture through the use of neutron noise techniques is demonstrated in the zero-power reactor CROCUS of the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne. It is the first step toward the experimental validation of an existing theoretical model whose objective is the reconstruction of the void profile in a channel. The use of zero-power research reactors is advantageous due to their clean environment in terms of signal fluctuations. To this end, a channel was installed in the reflector of CROCUS. A two-component mixture is generated inside the channel through the injection of compressed air. The signal fluctuations of neutron detectors located at various axial locations next to the channel are processed to determine the transit time of the gas phase between detectors. Four methods are presented based on the detector signal time series either in the time domain (time correlations between signals) or in the frequency domain (phase of the cross-power spectral density. All four methods returned consistent transit times and similar experimental uncertainty. The largest possible gas injection rates as well as the highest possible neutron flux level improve the visibility of the traveling perturbation and reduce the experimental uncertainty on the transit time for a given acquisition time.
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Abstract The possibility of measuring the gas-phase velocity in a two-phase mixture through the use of neutron noise techniques is demonstrated in the zero-power reactor CROCUS of the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne. It is the... more
Abstract The possibility of measuring the gas-phase velocity in a two-phase mixture through the use of neutron noise techniques is demonstrated in the zero-power reactor CROCUS of the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne. It is the first step toward the experimental validation of an existing theoretical model whose objective is the reconstruction of the void profile in a channel. The use of zero-power research reactors is advantageous due to their clean environment in terms of signal fluctuations. To this end, a channel was installed in the reflector of CROCUS. A two-component mixture is generated inside the channel through the injection of compressed air. The signal fluctuations of neutron detectors located at various axial locations next to the channel are processed to determine the transit time of the gas phase between detectors. Four methods are presented based on the detector signal time series either in the time domain (time correlations between signals) or in the frequency domain (phase of the cross-power spectral density. All four methods returned consistent transit times and similar experimental uncertainty. The largest possible gas injection rates as well as the highest possible neutron flux level improve the visibility of the traveling perturbation and reduce the experimental uncertainty on the transit time for a given acquisition time.
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This article presents the development, full-characterization, and in-core testing of a miniature neutron detector for the investigation of highly localized in-core neutronics effects in the zero-power reactor CROCUS, operated at the École... more
This article presents the development, full-characterization, and in-core testing of a miniature neutron detector for the investigation of highly localized in-core neutronics effects in the zero-power reactor CROCUS, operated at the École Polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Switzerland. A ZnS: 6LiF screen, mixing inorganic scintillator and neutron converter, with a surface of 1 mm2 and a thickness of 0.2 mm, was coupled with a silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) via a 10-m optical fiber. Analog readout electronics were adopted in this prototype version to process the SiPM output signal. A first campaign was carried out to assess the detection system capabilities in terms of neutron detection and counting in mixed neutron-gamma radiation fields. The miniature detector was thoroughly characterized with a Pu-Be source installed in the CARROUSEL facility and was subsequently tested inside a control rod guide tube of the CROCUS reactor in different reactor conditions, i.e., at shutdown, startup, and critical. The detector shows a linear response with a reactor power increase up to 6.5 W (i.e., around $10 {^{\mathrm{ 8}}}\,\,\text {cm}^{-2}\cdot \text {s}^{-1} $ total neutron flux) and excellent neutron counting capabilities, when compared to other localized detection systems available in CROCUS, such as the miniature fission chambers and single-crystal vapor deposited (sCVD) diamond detectors. In addition, the exposure of the miniature detector to a 60Co source with an activity of ~250 GBq, combined with the computation of the gamma flux in CROCUS with the Serpent 2 Monte Carlo code, confirmed the gamma insensitivity of the system in a mixed neutron-gamma field.
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This paper deals with the analysis of reactor modulation experiments for code validation in the framework of the Horizon 2020 European project CORTEX. The analysis is based on a statistical based approach on spectral powers and their... more
This paper deals with the analysis of reactor modulation experiments for code validation in the framework of the Horizon 2020 European project CORTEX. The analysis is based on a statistical based approach on spectral powers and their phase shift angles calculations. The treatment of individual oscillations as independent aids in elimination of possible biases and correlations of consecutive oscillations. Results from one of the experimental campaign performed at the AKR-2 and CROCUS reactors are also presented.
The PETALE experimental program in the CROCUS reactor intends to provide integral measurements on reactivity worth and dosimetry measurement to constrain nuclear data relative to stainless steel heavy reflectors. The experimental setup... more
The PETALE experimental program in the CROCUS reactor intends to provide integral measurements on reactivity worth and dosimetry measurement to constrain nuclear data relative to stainless steel heavy reflectors. The experimental setup consists in eight successive plates of pure iron, pure nickel, pure chromium, or nuclear-grade stainless steel set at the close periphery of the core. The plates are interleaved with up to nine dosimeters that consist of thin activation foils with different possible materials to be sensitive to different ranges of the neutron spectrum. A precise measurement with a good estimation of the uncertainties and correlations is required, especially when comparing reaction rates, e.g. transmission measurement and/or spectral indices. The present work focuses on the validation of the dosimetry technics developed in preparation of this experimental program. Different aspects are discussed: monitors, efficiency calibration, self-absorption correction, self-shield...
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CROCUS is a teaching and research zero-power reactor operated by the Laboratory for Reactor Physics and Systems Behaviour (LRS) at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL). Three new experimental programmes are scheduled for the... more
CROCUS is a teaching and research zero-power reactor operated by the Laboratory for Reactor Physics and Systems Behaviour (LRS) at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL). Three new experimental programmes are scheduled for the forthcoming years. The first programme consists in an experimental investigation of mechanical noise induced by fuel rods vibrations. An in-core device has been designed for allowing the displacement of up to 18 uranium metal fuel rods in the core periphery. The vibration amplitude will be 6 mm in the radial direction (±3 mm around the central position), while the frequency can be tuned between 0.1 and 5 Hz. The experiments will be used to validate computational dynamic tools currently under development, which are based on DORT-TD and CASMO/S3K code systems. The second programme concerns the measurement of in-core neutron noise for axial void profile reconstruction. Simulations performed at Chalmers University have shown how the void fraction and vel...
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The Horizon2020 European project CORTEX aims at developing an innovative core monitoring technique that allows detecting anomalies in nuclear reactors, such as excessive vibrations of core internals, flow blockage, or coolant inlet... more
The Horizon2020 European project CORTEX aims at developing an innovative core monitoring technique that allows detecting anomalies in nuclear reactors, such as excessive vibrations of core internals, flow blockage, or coolant inlet perturbations. The technique will be mainly based on using the fluctuations in neutron flux recorded by in-core and ex-core instrumentation, from which the anomalies will be differentiated depending on their type, location and characteristics. The project will result in a deepened understanding of the physical processes involved, allowing utilities to detect operational problems at a very early stage. In this framework, neutron noise computational methods and models are developed. In parallel, mechanical noise experimental campaigns are carried out in two zero-power reactors: AKR-2 and CROCUS. The aim is to produce high quality neutron noise-specific experimental data for the validation of the models. In CROCUS, the COLIBRI experimental program was develo...
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The present article is an overview of developments and results regarding neutron noise measurements in current mode at the CROCUS zero power facility. Neutron noise measurements offer a non-invasive method to determine kinetic reactor... more
The present article is an overview of developments and results regarding neutron noise measurements in current mode at the CROCUS zero power facility. Neutron noise measurements offer a non-invasive method to determine kinetic reactor parameters such as the prompt decay constant at criticality α = βeff / λ, the effective delayed neutron fraction βeff, and the mean generation time λ for code validation efforts. At higher detection rates, i.e. above 2×104 cps in the used configuration at 0.1 W, the previously employed pulse charge amplification electronics with BF3 detectors yielded erroneous results due to dead time effects. Future experimental needs call for higher sensitivity in detectors, higher detection rates or higher reactor powers, and thus a generally more versatile measurement system. We, therefore, explored detectors operated with current mode acquisition electronics to accommodate the need. We approached the matter in two ways: 1) By using the two compensated 10B-coated i...
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In the present article, we detail the method used to experimentally determine the power of the CROCUS zero-power reactor, and to subsequently calibrate its ex-core monitor fission chambers. Knowledge of the reactor power is a mandatory... more
In the present article, we detail the method used to experimentally determine the power of the CROCUS zero-power reactor, and to subsequently calibrate its ex-core monitor fission chambers. Knowledge of the reactor power is a mandatory quantity for a safe operation. Furthermore, most experimental research programs rely on absolute fission rates in design and interpretation – for instance, tally normalization of reaction rate studies in dosimetry, or normalization of power spectral density in neutron noise measurements. The minimization of associated uncertainties is only achieved by an accurate power determination method. The main experiment consists in the irradiation, and therefore, the activation of several axially distributed Au-197 foils in the central axis of the core, which activities are measured with a High-Purity Germanium (HPGe) gamma spectrometer. The effective cross sections are determined by MCNP and Serpent Monte Carlo simulations. We quantify the reaction rate of eac...
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This paper reports on the measurements of kinetics parameters at the teaching reactor CROCUS. The prompt decay constant, |α| = (β-ρ)/Λ, was measured in several sub-critical configurations using the Feynman-α reactor noise technique and... more
This paper reports on the measurements of kinetics parameters at the teaching reactor CROCUS. The prompt decay constant, |α| = (β-ρ)/Λ, was measured in several sub-critical configurations using the Feynman-α reactor noise technique and the reduced generation time Λ/β was deduced. The CROCUS facility is a zero-power reactor operated at EPFL. It is mainly used for educational purposes. Among all neutron noise measurement techniques, the focus was put on the Feynman- α technique. The intrinsic neutron population fluctuations were recorded in macroscopically stable sub-critical states and the prompt decay constants α were derived by fitting the Feynman-α experimental distributions with the point kinetic theoretical expression. The prompt decay constant at critical state α0=β/Λ was deduced in two ways: by extrapolation of the sub-critical prompt decay constant to the critical state, and by direct measurement of the sub-critical reactivity using roddrop techniques. The neutron population ...
Following an initial Round Robin inter-comparison of gamma spectrometry measurements reported in 2014, this paper presents results from the first part of a second Round Robin inter-comparison commissioned by the European Working Group on... more
Following an initial Round Robin inter-comparison of gamma spectrometry measurements reported in 2014, this paper presents results from the first part of a second Round Robin inter-comparison commissioned by the European Working Group on Reactor Dosimetry in 2018. Measurements were performed by thirteen European organisations on a set of irradiated neutron activation detectors representative of those commonly used by the Reactor Dosimetry community to measure neutron fluence using gamma spectrometry methods. The radionuclides measured were110mAg,58Co,60Co,54Mn, and46Sc. The purpose of the exercise was to demonstrate the level of consistency between participating organisations in blind tests of measurements. The samples used were disks of iron, nickel, titanium, and two standard alloys of aluminium, one of 1% cobalt and the other 1% silver. They were irradiated in the MARIA reactor operated by National Centre for Nuclear Research, Poland. Participants provided their results to an ind...
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Recently a joint project has been carried out between the Paul Scherrer Institut, the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne and swissnuclear, an industrial partner, in order to determine the axial void distribution in a channel... more
Recently a joint project has been carried out between the Paul Scherrer Institut, the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne and swissnuclear, an industrial partner, in order to determine the axial void distribution in a channel installed in the reflector of the zero power research reactor CROCUS, using neutron noise techniques. The main objective of the present paper is to report on the validation of the results against an alternative measurement technique using gamma-ray attenuation and simulations with the TRACE code. For the gamma-ray attenuation experiments, the channel used in CROCUS is installed out of the core in a Plexiglass water tank. The source and detector are fixed and the channel is moved axially to keep the geometry of the source/detector arrangement untouched. This is key to measure the void effect by gamma attenuation due to the low contrast of this technique. The paper compares the experimental results obtained with both techniques, with the outcomes of simulati...
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Interest in fast and easy detection of high-energy radiation (x-, γ-rays and neutrons) is closely related to numerous practical applications ranging from biomedicine and industry to homeland security issues. In this regard, crystals of... more
Interest in fast and easy detection of high-energy radiation (x-, γ-rays and neutrons) is closely related to numerous practical applications ranging from biomedicine and industry to homeland security issues. In this regard, crystals of hybrid halide perovskite have proven to be excellent detectors of x- and γ-rays, offering exceptionally high sensitivities in parallel to the ease of design and handling. Here, we demonstrate that by assembling a methylammonium lead tri-bromide perovskite single crystal (CH3NH3PbBr3 SC) with a Gadolinium (Gd) foil, one can very efficiently detect a flux of thermal neutrons. The neutrons absorbed by the Gd foil turn into γ-rays, which photo-generate charge carriers in the CH3NH3PbBr3 SC. The induced photo-carriers contribute to the electric current, which can easily be measured, providing information on the radiation intensity of thermal neutrons. The dependence on the beam size, bias voltage and the converting distance is investigated. To ensure stabl...
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FRAJTAG, PAVEL. Light-emitting Diodes Based on Epitaxy on Non-polar Sidewalls and III-Nitrides Nanowires. (Under the direction of Dr. N.A. El-Masry and Dr. S.M. Bedair). Light emitting diodes (LEDs) grown on the etched non-polar plane... more
FRAJTAG, PAVEL. Light-emitting Diodes Based on Epitaxy on Non-polar Sidewalls and III-Nitrides Nanowires. (Under the direction of Dr. N.A. El-Masry and Dr. S.M. Bedair). Light emitting diodes (LEDs) grown on the etched non-polar plane sidewall stripes of polar c-plane GaN/sapphire templates by metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) demonstrated that sidewall epitaxy significantly reduces the quantum confined Stark Effect found in quantum wells (QWs) grown on c-plane substrates. Preferential semi/nonpolar crystallographic plane formation during LED structure depositions on etched sidewall stripes, propagation of dislocations during sidewall epitaxy and effect of n-/p-type doping on growth mechanisms together with incorporation of indium on sidewalls were studied. Epitaxial growth of GaN films on GaN nanowires (NWs) lead to the development of an embedded void approach (EVA) technique for defect reduction in GaN epitaxial films grown on sapphire substrates. GaN NWs were create...
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At EPFL, the CROCUS reactor has been used to carry out experiments with vibrating fuel rods. The paper presents a first attempt to employ the measured data to validate CORE SIM+, a neutron noise solver developed at Chalmers University of... more
At EPFL, the CROCUS reactor has been used to carry out experiments with vibrating fuel rods. The paper presents a first attempt to employ the measured data to validate CORE SIM+, a neutron noise solver developed at Chalmers University of Technology. For this purpose, the original experimental data are processed in order to extract the necessary information. In particular, detector recordings are scrutinized and detrended, and used to estimate CPSDs of detector pairs. These values are then compared with the ones derived from the CORE SIM+ simulations of the experiments. The main trend of the experimental data along with the values for some detectors are successfully reproduced by CORE SIM+. Further work is necessary on both the experimental and computational sides in order to improve the validation process.
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We report in the present article on the successful observation using noise analysis of the lateral oscillation of one fuel rod by ±2.5 mm around nominal at 0.1 Hz frequency, using an mm3 miniature neutron scintillator at the rod level,... more
We report in the present article on the successful observation using noise analysis of the lateral oscillation of one fuel rod by ±2.5 mm around nominal at 0.1 Hz frequency, using an mm3 miniature neutron scintillator at the rod level, and a BGO gamma detector seven meters away from the reactor core center. The experiment was conducted as part of the COLIBRI program in the CROCUS reactor, which is dedicated to the investigation of reactor noise induced by fuel vibrations. It consists in experiments on rod lateral displacement (static) and oscillation (dynamic) with different rods’ numbers at various relevant amplitudes and frequencies. Its main motivation is the increased amplitudes in the neutron noise distributions recorded in ex- and in-core detectors that have been observed in recent years in Siemens pre-Konvoi type of PWR reactors. The obtained experimental data are used for the purpose of code validation, especially within the framework of the European project CORTEX on reacto...
The present article provides an overview of the design of a three-dimensional (3D) full-core mapping system for the CROCUS reactor, operated at the École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Switzerland. The system is composed of... more
The present article provides an overview of the design of a three-dimensional (3D) full-core mapping system for the CROCUS reactor, operated at the École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Switzerland. The system is composed of 149 miniature neutron detectors distributed within the core double lattice at three main axial levels. The miniature detector technology is based on the optimization of the well-proven coupling of a miniature ZnS:6LiF(Ag) scintillator to a state-of-the-art silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) via jacketed optical fibers. The challenges in the mechanical design, the detector optimization, the core criticality, and the development of the acquisition electronics are strongly interconnected and their combination is addressed in this article. The 3D full-core mapping system is foreseen to be installed in CROCUS in autumn 2021 and it will pave the way for the investigation of 3D dynamic phenomena in nuclear reactor cores.