5-9 September 2016
Prague Congress Centre
Europe/Prague timezone

P3.001 6Li-D thermal-to-14 MeV neutron converter in the MARIA reactor for fusion materials related research

7 Sep 2016, 11:00
1h 20m
Foyer 2A (2nd floor), 3A (3rd floor) (Prague Congress Centre)

Foyer 2A (2nd floor), 3A (3rd floor)

Prague Congress Centre

5. května 65, Prague, Czech Republic
Board: 1
Poster A. Experimental Fusion Devices and Supporting Facilities P3 Poster session

Speaker

Anna Wojcik-Gargula (Department of Radiation Transport Physics)

Description

Study of materials dedicated to fusion reactors is one of the most challenging tasks faced by fusion research. Unfortunately, the number of useful fast neutron sources with a proper neutron spectrum and high neutron fluence is limited. Currently, a better exploitation of the existing neutron sources, such as high flux fission research reactors or material test reactors, is necessary to develop further the fusion technology. In order to overcome some of the limitations of fission research reactors to simulate fusion conditions, a thermal-to-14 MeV neutron converter has been designed and constructed at NCBJ (Świerk, Poland). This converter can be installed in the core of the MARIA reactor. The preliminary MCNP calculations showed that the neutron energy spectrum inside the converter resembles the one expected in large fusion devices such as ITER and DEMO. This paper presents the experimental results obtained during one of the converter operating cycle. A set of activation detectors (Ti, Fe, Ni, Co, Ta, Y, Nb) and samples of real ITER materials (i.e. SS316L steels, W) have been irradiated inside the converter placed in KVIII/A channel of the MARIA reactor. The measured activities were compared against the quantities calculated using FISPACT-II inventory code. Based on the registered nuclear reactions and using SAND-II deconvolution code, it was possible to unfold the neutron energy spectrum characteristic for the selected converter location. Our previous studies showed that the higher the thermal neutron component in energy spectrum is the more difficult is to accurately determine the fast neutron spectrum. For this reason an attempt has been made to choose the most beneficial position of the converter.

Co-authors

Anna Wojcik-Gargula (Department of Radiation Transport Physics, Institute of Nuclear Physics of the Polish Academy of Sciences (IFJ PAN), Krakow, Poland) Jakub Bielecki (Department of Radiation Transport Physics, Institute of Nuclear Physics of the Polish Academy of Sciences (IFJ PAN), Krakow, Poland) Jerzy Mietelski (Department of Nuclear Physical Chemistry, Institute of Nuclear Physics of the Polish Academy of Sciences (IFJ PAN), Krakow, Poland) Krzysztof Pytel (Nuclear Facilities Operations Department, National Centre for Nuclear Research (NCBJ), Otwock, Świerk, Poland) Marek Scholz (Department of Radiation Transport Physics, Institute of Nuclear Physics of the Polish Academy of Sciences (IFJ PAN), Krakow, Poland) Rafał Prokopowicz (Nuclear Facilities Operations Department, National Centre for Nuclear Research (NCBJ), Otwock, Świerk, Poland)

Presentation Materials

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