Research for the life-extension of the wide-range monitoring neutron detectors of HTTR (Joint research)

Saito, Kenji ; Sekita, Kenji; Kawasaki, Kozo; Yamamoto, Kazuhiko*; Matsuura, Makoto*

The Wide-Range Monitoring neutron detectors of HTTR are used under 450 C in normal operation and 550 C in the accidents. When the WRM detectors are used under the high temperature for a long time, characteristics of the detector might be degraded, because of the decrease of the nitrogen concentration in the ionization gas caused by adsorbtion of nitrogen into the electrode material. Consequently, the nitrogen gas adsorption test was carried out to clarify the quantity of absorbed nitrogen gas in electrode material under the high temperature. Then, the performance evaluation test of the prototype detector was carried out, and it was confirmed that degradation of the prototype detector characteristics didn't arise under the high temperature anvironment. This report describes the results of consideration about the life-extension of WRM detectors. As a result, it was confirmed that the WRM detectors are usable for 5 years under 450 C in normal operation and 550 C in the accidents.