High resolution measurements with miniature neutron scintillators in the SUR-100 zero power reactor

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Three 1-mm3 miniature fiber-coupled scintillators have been used to perform cm-wise resolution measurements of the thermal neutron flux within experimental channels of the SUR-100 facility, a zero power thermal reactor operated by the Institute of Nuclear Technology and Energy Systems at the University of Stuttgart. The detection system is developed at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne in collaboration with the Paul Scherrer Institut. Thermal neutrons count rates were measured along the experimental channels I and II, which cross the reactor at the center and tangentially to the core, respectively. The reactor was modelled with the Monte Carlo neutron transport code Serpent-2.1.31. The comparison of experimental and computed reaction rate distributions showed a good agreement within the core region, with discrepancies within 2σ. An unexpected discrepancy, probably caused by a geometric inconsistency in the computational model of the reactor, was observed in the reflector region of the experimental channel I, where a 20% difference (i.e. 8σ) was found between experimental and simulated results. Significant discrepancies, respectively worth 10σ and 15σ, were noticed at distance, in the lead shielding region, for both experimental channels I and II. In addition, reaction rate gradients across the 2.6 cm and 5.4 cm diameters of both channels were measured. A horizontal reaction rate gradient of (9.09 ± 0.20) % was measured within 2.4 cm across the diameter of the experimental channel II, with a difference from computed results of 2%. The absence of a vertical reaction rate gradient inside the experimental channel I was confirmed by measurements.