Pulsed Cold Neutron Source of Solid Methylbenzene

Lithium carbonate pellets are frequently used for estimation of tritium production rate in irradiated samples in fusion blanket neutronics experiment and the activity is measured by liquid scintillation counting technique. In this measurement, it is essential to solve the lithium carbonate pellet as much as possible and to mix the pellet solution into scintillation cocktail homogeneously at stable condition. For this purpose, a novel binary-acid method has been developed to solve lithium carbonate and to mix the pellet solution into scintillation cocktail. High solubility is attained by adopting two acids, HNO₃ and CH₃COOH, and a good compatibility of the pellet solution with scintillator is obtained by emulsion cocktail resulting in high counting efficiency. Defining a product of dissolved mass and counting efficiency as a Figure of Merit (FOM), the present method has higher FOM value than the conventional method and is extremely simple in a sample preparation procedure. In the present work, solubility, compatibility and counting efficiency were systematically examined for different mixing ratios of two acids, and the condition for a maximum FOM was determined. The FOM value of a factor of two higher than the conventional method was finally attained.     

Comparison between Pulsed Cold Neutron Intensities from Liquid Hydrogen Moderator and from Solid Methane Moderator in Decoupling Type Moderator Assembly

Although liquid hydrogen is at present a unique cold moderator applicable to high intensity neutron sources, the reported pulsed cold neutron intensity from a liquid hydrogen moderator is significantly lower than that from a solid methane moderator. In this report, a reflected assembly with a thick hydrogen moderator is used to enhance the pulsed cold neutron intensity and the intensity is compared with that from a solid methane moderator. For comparison, 5 and 15 cm thick moderators were used for liquid hydrogen moderators. The thicker one was used to obtain the saturated intensity of pulsed cold neutrons. The thickness of a solid methane was 5 cm.

The cold neutron intensity from the 15 cm thick hydrogen moderator is about 1.6 times as high as that from the 5 cm one, in the case of the graphite reflected moderator assembly with a Cd decoupler. However, even in the case of the reflected assembly, the cold neutron intensities from the liquid hydrogen moderators are much less than that from the solid methane moderator; intensity ratios of the cold neutrons emitted from the hydrogen moderator to the solid methane one are about 36% for the thin hydrogen moderator and about 56% for the thick one. These results show that although the thick hydrogen moderator should be used to increase the pulsed cold neutron intensity, the pulsed cold neutron intensity from the liquid hydrogen moderator cannot be increased up to that from the solid methane moderator regardless of the use of a reflector, only by thickening the moderator.     

中国先进研究堆冷中子源核发热和冷中子增益研究

为准确计算和研究中国先进研究堆（CARR）冷中子源装置氢系统的核发热和冷中子增益，建立了一整套计算方法。对参考堆的验证计算证明了该方法的正确性和有效性。对影响CARR冷中子源核发热和冷中子增益的各种因素（如慢化剂、冷包材料、冷包形状等）进行了计算和优化选择。结果表明：在核发热量较小的条件下获得了较好的冷中子增益。     

中国先进研究堆冷中子源单相冷包方案可行性分

在现有的冷源设计中,两相氢循环因其换热能力强而被广泛采用,但它最大的缺点是存在含气率影响慢化的稳定性。能否采用单相循环代替两相循环实现高热流密度的热量输出,是待研究的重点。为兼顾循环流量等宏观特性和流场、温度场分布等细节参数的分析,提出了一种基于迭代的耦合算法,将一维理论公式与三维数值仿真模型相结合,用于分析中国先进研究堆单相冷包方案的可行性。研究发现,单相循环只能带走约30%的核发热,但由于冷包增加了氦冷却套,其余热量全部通过氦气对冷包壁面的直接冷却带走。温度场的分析显示液氢和壁面的最高温度分别为21.7和23.7 K。这说明冷包得到了充分冷却,单相循环及单相冷包结构可满足工程需要。     

研究堆冷中子源冷包的强度分析

利用ANSYS软件包对某研究堆冷中子源（CNS）的冷包在内外压共同作用下的强度进行分析。分析结果表明，冷包的原设计不甚合理，冷包的局部应力超过了设计应力。变更原结构的几何尺寸后进行了进一步计算分析，并提出了相应的补强方案。改进后冷包的计算结果表明，补强后的结构很好地满足设计要求。研究结果为冷包的实际工程设计提供了依据。     

Characteristics of Neutron Guide Tubes in Upgraded JRR-3

Abstract

The JRR-3 has been upgraded to be a new high performance research reactor JRR-3M with neutron guide tubes on a large scale and a cold neutron source. The neutron fluxes and spectra were measured at the end of the two thermal and three cold neutron guide tubes. The gain of the cold neutron source is also found from these spectra. The neutron fluxes of thermal neutron guide tubes with characteristic wavelength 2 Å are 1.2x10⁸ n/cm².s at a reactor power of 20 MW. The neutron fluxes of cold guide tubes are 2.0x 10⁸ n/cm².s with characteristic wavelength 4 Å and 1.4x10⁸ n/cm².s with 6 A when the cold neutron source is operated. The neutron spectra measured by the time-of-flight method agree well with their designed ones. The gains of the cold neutron source are 8 for 4 Å and 20 for 6 Å at a reactor power of 20 MW.     

Neutronics of Polyethylene Thermal Moderator of Wing and Slab Geometries on Pulsed Neutron Source

Pulse width and intensity of thermal neutrons emitted from a polyethylene moderator on a pulsed neutron source are compared in two geometries of a moderator and target, namely, slab (radial type) and wing geometries (tangential type).

The pulse width for a 10cm thick moderator of the wing geometry, at which thickness saturated beam intensity is achieved, corresponds nearly to that of a 4 cm thick moderator of the slab geometry, although the maximum beam intensity for the wing geometry is some-what less than that of slab geometry. Analysis of figures of merit indicates that the wing geometry can be adopted in scattering experiments which require neutron beams that are not contaminated much by other radiations, even if it causes slight deterioration of neutronic characteristics in comparison with the slab geometry.     

Time-Dependence of Cold Neutron Pulse Emitted from Methane at 20°K

The time-dependent behavior of monochromatic neutrons from a pulsed cold moderator system provides important information for application of the system as a pulsed cold neutron source. The time distribution of neutron pulses from 20°K methane has been studied using time-of-flight and crystal monochromator techniques. The first time-moments of the neutron pulses and the thermalization time constant have been obtained.     

Effects of Reflector on Intensity of Thermal Neutrons Emitted from Moderator for Pulsed Neutron Source

Intensity of the thermal neutrons emitted from the moderator with a reflector was calculated to study the effects on the intensity caused by a macroscopic total neutron cross section and an average logarithmic energy loss of the reflector materials.

A reflector with a large macroscopic total neutron cross section produced higher thermal neutron intensity than that with a small cross section if they had the same average logarithmic energy loss. Among the reflectors with the same total macroscopic neutron cross section, the thermal neutron intensity was not changed by decreasing the average logarithmic energy loss to a range less than about 0.1 but above this value the intensity was weakened. From this result it was found that a large macroscopic total cross section and a small average logarithmic energy loss are preferable characteristics for reflector materials.

As actual reflector materials, three reflector materials were examined, namely beryllium, graphite and lead, which are now considered to be candidates. The lead reflector was effective for the moderator with a large emission-surface and the beryllium reflector for the moderator with a small one. This result indicates that the moderator size is important for choosing the best reflector material to produce the highest beam intensity.     

CARR冷中子源物理方案研究

冷中子源是中国先进研究堆(CARR)作为应用平台开展中子散射实验的重要系统。本文建立了可开展冷中子源装置氢系统物理方案研究的计算程序和方法。对影响核发热和冷中子增益的多种因素进行了计算和优化选择,确定了氢系统物理方案。分析结果表明:符合CARR冷中子源自身特点且在国际上具有创新意义的月牙形冷包结构,在核发热量较小的条件下获得了较好的冷中子增益。     

Neutronic Optimization of Premoderator and Reflector for Decoupled Hydrogen Moderator in 1 MW Spallation Neutron Source

For a decoupled liquid-hydrogen moderator, optimization studies have been performed on a premoderator and reflector materials (Pb, Be, Fe and Hg) together with several decoupling energies to realize a higher neutronic performance. The result indicated that, among four reflector materials mentioned above, the best neutronic performance could be obtained by adopting a Pb reflector with an optimized premoderator and an appropriate decoupling energy.     

中国先进研究堆冷中子源冷包含气率及两相热虹吸循环模拟试验研究

以氟利昂R113为工质对中国先进研究堆(CARR)冷中子源(CNS)两相氢热虹吸循环回路进行了全尺寸模拟试验。以气液密度比、体积蒸发率相等为相似准则，试验研究了循环特性、冷包液位、截面含气率与热负荷的关系。实验观测到，各工况下的模拟回路均能建立稳定的循环，在冷包内形成了内筒含气、环形空间充满一定含气率的气液两相混合物的慢化剂结构。随热负荷变化，模拟系统冷包液位具有自调节性。     

Simple Expression for Effective Neutron Temperature due to Rotational Motions of Cold-Moderator Molecules

An analysis is presented on the slowing-down of cold neutrons in moderators in which molecular or intramolecular rotations play a predominant role. Use is made of two kinds of approximation: (1) the classical approximation in which the rotational effects are taken into account in terms of an effective mass, and (2) the few-level approximation which becomes useful at the lowest limits of temperature. Further, the concept of effective mass is extended to include also the effects of a weak hindering barrier against rotation.

The expressions derived for the effective cold neutron temperature in low temperature moderators are compared with experimental results obtained on typical materials—condensed methane and methyl compound, and satisfactory agreement is obtained. The analysis further reveals some particular characteristics inherent in the slowing-down of cold neutrons due to the rotational motions of molecules. Moreover, the present model is found valid for expressing the slopes in the 1/w-region presented by the scattering cross section of ammonium ions in low barrier materials.     

Calcuiational Method for Neutron Heating in Dense Plasma Systems, (II)

Abstract

The effect of neutron heating on the burn characteristics of inertial confinement fusion pellets is investigated by applying the calcuiational method developed in an earlier paper (Part I). The basic equations are time-dependent transport equations for fusion neutrons and recoil ions, being written in terms of the modified Eulerian coordinates originally proposed by Wienke (1974). After incorporating these equations into the one-dimensional hydrodynamics code MEDUSA, burn simulations are made for isobaric D-T pellets models compressed to 1,000 times the liquid density. It is found that in reactor-grade pellets, the inclusion of neutron heating decreases the fuel gain from the values obtained by neglecting the neutron heating. Calculations neglecting the energy transport by recoil ions overestimate the neutron energy deposition to plasma ions. The energy spectrum of neutrons emitted out of a typical D-T burning pellet is also shown. These neutrons contain fast components whose energies reach more than 20MeV.