Abstract
The nuclear radiation energy deposition rate is a key value for the thermal design of experiments, on materials and nuclear fuels, carried out in experimental channels of nuclear research reactors. Studies are led for two kinds of sensor currently dedicated to quantifying this value and corresponding to calorimeter. Development of new sensors but also improvement of their calibration and their associated interpretation methods are necessary. These aims are possible by many ways such as numerical simulations of sensor, characterizations under laboratory conditions and experimental campaign under irradiation conditions. The calibration step under non-irradiation conditions represents a crucial phase. This phase requires the development of specific benches. The present paper focuses on a new thermal-transient bench and its use to perform calibration of a polish single-cell calorimeter. The new bench is detailed. First studies of the influence of external conditions (temperature, velocity) on the calorimeter sensitivity are presented and discussed.
Highlights
In the field of nuclear energy, the control and measurement of the energy deposition rate per unit mass induced by the interactions of radiation with matter are crucial
This parameter, called nuclear heating rate, is used in order to carry out accurate studies on the ageing of materials and the behaviour of nuclear fuels under irradiation inside research reactors
This paper focuses on the experimental calibration of the KAROLINA calorimeter with a new transient-state test bench
Summary
In the field of nuclear energy, the control and measurement of the energy deposition rate per unit mass induced by the interactions of radiation with matter (usually expressed in W.g1) are crucial. The studied in-pile calorimeter is a single-cell calorimeter which corresponds to the KAROLINA calorimeter (cf Fig.2) [3, 5] This calorimeter was designed and developed by the Polish National Center of Nuclear Research (NCBJ) to carry out experiments in the MARIA Reactor in 2014 and 2015. The aim of these two irradiation campaigns was the comparison of different calorimeters: KAROLINA calorimeter and gamma thermometer KAROLINA calorimeter and two French differential calorimeters (CARMEN [5] and CALORRE [12,13]) This single-cell calorimeter designed for a nuclear heating rate range up to 5W.g-1, is composed of a graphite sample surrounded by a thin layer of Helium gas and a stainless steel jacket. The experimental temporal response of KAROLINA calorimeter, obtained with this bench, is shown and preliminary studies of the influence of thermal and hydraulic external conditions on this response r and the calorimeter sensitivity are given
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