High-intensity power-resolved radiation imaging of an operational nuclear reactor.
High-intensity power-resolved radiation imaging of an operational nuclear reactor.
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DOI：
10.1038/ncomms9592
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发表时间：
2015-10-09
影响因子：
16.6
通讯作者：
Joyce MJ
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Beaumont JS;Mellor MP;Villa M;Joyce MJ
了解核反应堆中的中子分布是保证反应堆燃料安全有效燃烧的必要条件。目前，这些测量是由堆芯系统在极端恶劣的环境中进行的，在大多数反应堆事故场景中，这些系统很可能会损坏。在这里，我们提出了一个紧凑的便携式辐射成像系统，能够同时成像高强度快中子和伽马射线场。该系统已用于对TRIGA试验反应堆运行过程中发射的辐射场进行成像，从而获得反应堆内部条件的空间可视化。每种情况下的成像通量都发现与反应堆功率成线性比例，表明该方法可用于功率分辨反应堆监测和损坏核反应堆中正在进行的核临界分析。监测核反应堆的活动需要实时有效地测量堆芯中的中子分布。在这里，作者提出了一种中子和伽马射线的成像方法，这种成像方法得益于一种类似狭缝瞳孔的设计，可以在运行的反应堆中直接看到辐射。
Knowledge of the neutron distribution in a nuclear reactor is necessary to ensure the safe and efficient burnup of reactor fuel. Currently these measurements are performed by in-core systems in what are extremely hostile environments and in most reactor accident scenarios it is likely that these systems would be damaged. Here we present a compact and portable radiation imaging system with the ability to image high-intensity fast-neutron and gamma-ray fields simultaneously. This system has been deployed to image radiation fields emitted during the operation of a TRIGA test reactor allowing a spatial visualization of the internal reactor conditions to be obtained. The imaged flux in each case is found to scale linearly with reactor power indicating that this method may be used for power-resolved reactor monitoring and for the assay of ongoing nuclear criticalities in damaged nuclear reactors. Monitoring the activity of nuclear reactors requires measuring the neutron distribution in the core efficiently and in real time. Here, the authors present an imaging approach for neutrons and gamma-rays that thanks to a slit-pupil-like design, enables radiations to be visualized directly in operative reactors.