Research and development of radiation-resistant sensor for fuel debris by integrating advanced measurement technologies (Contract research); FY2020 Nuclear Energy Science & Technology and Human Resource Development Project

Collaborative Laboratories for Advanced Decommissioning Science; High Energy Accelerator Research Organization*

JAEA-Review 2021-042, 115 Pages, 2022/01

JAEA-Review-2021-042.pdf:5.18MB

The Collaborative Laboratories for Advanced Decommissioning Science (CLADS), Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA), had been conducting the Nuclear Energy Science & Technology and Human Resource Development Project (hereafter referred to "the Project") in FY2020. The Project aims to contribute to solving problems in the nuclear energy field represented by the decommissioning of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, Inc. (TEPCO). For this purpose, intelligence was collected from all over the world, and basic research and human resource development were promoted by closely integrating/collaborating knowledge and experiences in various fields beyond the barrier of conventional organizations and research fields. The sponsor of the Project was moved from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology to JAEA since the newly adopted proposals in FY2018. On this occasion, JAEA constructed a new research system where JAEA-academia collaboration is reinforced and medium-to-long term research/development and human resource development contributing to the decommissioning are stably and consecutively implemented. Among the adopted proposals in FY2018, this report summarizes the research results of the "Research and development of radiation-resistant sensor for fuel debris by integrating advanced measurement technologies" conducted from FY2018 to FY2020. Since the final year of this proposal was FY2020, the results for three fiscal years were summarized. The present study aims to in-situ measure and analyze the distribution status and criticality of flooded fuel debris. For this purpose, we construct a neutron measurement system by developing compact diamond neutron sensor and integrated circuit whose radiation resistance was improved by circuit design. Along with the multi-phased array sonar and the acoustic sub-bottom profiling (SBP) system, the neutron measurement system will be installed in the ROV (developed by

Research and development of radiation-resistant sensor for fuel debris by integrating advanced measurement technologies (Contract research); FY2019 Nuclear Energy Science & Technology and Human Resource Development Project

Collaborative Laboratories for Advanced Decommissioning Science; High Energy Accelerator Research Organization*

JAEA-Review 2020-058, 101 Pages, 2021/02

JAEA-Review-2020-058.pdf:5.58MB

JAEA/CLADS had been conducting the Nuclear Energy Science & Technology and Human Resource Development Project in FY2019. Among the adopted proposals in FY2018, this report summarizes the research results of the "Research and Development of Radiation-resistant Sensor for Fuel Debris by Integrating Advanced Measurement Technologies" conducted in FY2019.

Homogeneity of neutron transmission imaging over a large sensitive area with a four-channel superconducting detector

Vu, TheDang; Shishido, Hiroaki*; Kojima, Kenji M*; Koyama, Tomio*; Oikawa, Kenichi; Harada, Masahide; Miyajima, Shigeyuki*; Oku, Takayuki; Soyama, Kazuhiko; Aizawa, Kazuya; et al.

Superconductor Science and Technology, 34(1), p.015010_1 - 015010_10, 2021/01

https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6668/abc2af

Development of thin SiC neutron detector with high radiation resistance (Contract research); FY2018 Center of World Intelligence Project for Nuclear Science/Technology and Human Resource Development

Collaborative Laboratories for Advanced Decommissioning Science; Kyoto University*

JAEA-Review 2019-042, 43 Pages, 2020/03

JAEA-Review-2019-042.pdf:25.64MB

JAEA/CLADS, had been conducting the Center of World Intelligence Project for Nuclear Science/Technology and Human Resource Development (hereafter referred to "the Project") in FY2018. The Project aims to contribute to solving problems in nuclear energy field represented by the decommissioning of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, Inc. For this purpose, intelligence was collected from all over the world, and basic research and human resource development were promoted by closely integrating/collaborating knowledge and experiences in various fields beyond the barrier of conventional organizations and research fields. Among the adopted proposals in FY2018, this report summarizes the research results of the "Development of Thin SiC Neutron Detector with High Radiation Resistance". In the works for debris retrieval, it is required to install subcritical surveillance radiation monitors that can surely work for long time under extremely high gamma-ray radiation environment. However, there have been problems such as remote control of conventional radiation monitors is difficult because heavy radiation shields are needed. In the present study, we will develop a neutron detector using thin, light-weight and radiation-resistive silicon carbide (SiC) that has low sensitivity to gamma-rays as well as the data collection system in collaboration with the U.K. Using this system, the performance tests will be conducted supposing the real debris retrieval including the irradiation tests. Based on the results, we will conduct research and development aiming to make the system ready for use in real decommissioning works.

Monte Carlo radiation transport modelling of the current-biased kinetic inductance detector

Malins, A.; Machida, Masahiko; Vu, TheDang; Aizawa, Kazuya; Ishida, Takekazu*

Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research A, 953, p.163130_1 - 163130_7, 2020/02

AA2019-0261.pdf:0.84MB

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2019.163130

New approach to measure double-differential charged-particle emission cross sections of several materials for a fusion reactor

Kondo, Keitaro; Takagi, Satoshi*; Murata, Isao*; Miyamaru, Hiroyuki*; Takahashi, Akito*; Kubota, Naoyoshi; Ochiai, Kentaro; Nishitani, Takeo

Fusion Engineering and Design, 81(8-14), p.1527 - 1533, 2006/02

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fusengdes.2005.08.070

In a fusion reactor development, double-differential charged-particle emission cross sections(DDXc) are necessary to estimate nuclear heating and material damages of candidate materials irradiated with neutrons. Especially in light nuclei such as Be, Li, and C, nuclear reactions are complicated and difficult to estimate energy spectra of emitted particles based only on theoretical calculations Therefore development of a new technique for precise measurements of DDXc is quite important. Recently we successfully developed a new spectrometer for measurement of DDXc using a pencil-beam DT neutron source of FNS in JAERI. In the present study we carried out measurements of DDXc of Be, C, F, and Al using the spectrometer. The present technique was valid from the result of measurement for the Al(n,x) reactions. Slight differences appeared between measured data and evaluation or previous experimental values for Be(n,x) reactions at backward scattering angle and in lower energy region.

Development of 2-d position-sensitive neutron detector with individual readout; Operation test and establishment of detection system by means of neutron beam

Tanaka, Hiroki; Yamagishi, Hideshi; Nakamura, Tatsuya; Soyama, Kazuhiko; Aizawa, Kazuya

JAERI-Research 2005-010, 16 Pages, 2005/04

JAERI-Research-2005-010.pdf:3.39MB

We have been developing the 2-d position-sensitive neutron detector with individual readout as next-generation-type detector system for neutron scattering experiments using intense pulsed neutron source. The detection system is designed to fulfill the specifications required for each neutron spectrometer, such as a count rate, efficiency, neutron/-ray ratio, a spatial resolution and a size, by using suitable detector heads. The fundamental and imaging performances of the developed system assembled with a Multi-wire proportional counter head were evaluated using a collimated neutron beam. The system worked stably for long hours at the gas pressure of 5 atm with a mixture of 30% CH (0.26 atm He)at gas gain of 450. The spatial resolutions were 1.4, 1.6 mm (FWHM) for a cathode- and a back strip- direction, respectively, considering a beam size. It was also confirmed that the spatial uniformity of the detection efficiency over the whole sensitive detection area was rather good, 8 % deviation from the average with the optimum discrimination level.

Development of ZnS/LiF scintillating and MSGC neutron detectors in JAERI

Nakamura, Tatsuya; Katagiri, Masaki; Yamagishi, Hideshi; Tanaka, Hiroki; Sakasai, Kaoru; Soyama, Kazuhiko

Hamon, 15(1), p.67 - 73, 2005/01

https://doi.org/10.5611/hamon.15.67

Development of scintillating and gaseous neutron detectors in Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute is briefly described. In this paper, the performances of the developed 2-d neutron detectors, concerning ZnS/LiF scintillating detectors with wavelength shifting fiber read-out and micro-strip gas chambers with individual read-out, are presented.

Usage of a capillary plate as a pre-gas-amplification device for a neutron microstrip gas chamber

Nakamura, Tatsuya; Masaoka, Sei; Yamagishi, Hideshi; Sakasai, Kaoru; Soyama, Kazuhiko; Aizawa, Kazuya

IEEE Transactions on Nuclear Science, 51(4), p.1519 - 1523, 2004/08

https://doi.org/10.1109/TNS.2004.832701

A capillary plate (CP) comprising an assembly of fine glass tubes was applied as a pre-gas-amplification device for a microstrip gas chamber (MSGC) operating under high-gas pressure of helium-3 for use in neutron detection. The collection efficiency of the electrons between the CP and MSGC was maximally 17% using neutrons. The effective gas gain of the detector system was 600 at a gas pressure of 3 atm with a 10% mixture of ethane with helium-3, confirming the feasibility of the CP as a pre-gas-amplification device. Moreover, we demonstrated that the coincidence measurement of the signals between the CP and the anodes of MSGC decreased the background levels of electronics noise, electronic discharges, and -rays, indicating that a detector system with a low background can be constructed using the CP.

Discrimination of neutrons and ray by a neutron detector comprising a superconducting tunnel junction on a single crystal of LiBO

Nakamura, Tatsuya; Katagiri, Masaki; Soyama, Kazuhiko; Ukibe, Masahiro*; Ikeuchi, Takashi*; Okubo, Masataka*

Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research A, 529(1-3), p.402 - 404, 2004/08

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2004.05.020

We evaluated the neutron--rays discrimination of the neutron detector comprising a superconducting tunnel junction (STJ) on the single crystal of LiBO. The neutron detector was irradiated with X-rays, -rays and neutrons, and the signal pulses were analyzed including pulse height distributions and rise times. It was found that the most of the signal pulses for the neutron-events exhibited slower rise times than those for X-rays and -rays. This indicated the capability of neutron--rays discrimination of the detector using the differences in the decay time of the signal current.