Methodologies and Shielding Analysis for the Design of Activated Cooling Water Components in Spallation Neutron Systems

China Spallation Neutron Source (CSNS) I project passed the national acceptance in 2018, and current beam power has reached 140 kW. In order to further improve the output neutron strength of the target station moderator, a 500 kW power upgrade plan has been proposed for CSNS II. The target station is an important part of the spallation neutron source. In the target station, a large number of neutrons are produced by the spallation reaction between high energy protons and the target, these neutrons are moderated by the moderator and become neutrons for neutron scattering experiments. During operation, the target and other key components such as the target container, the moderator reflector container, and the proton beam window are irradiated by high-flux and high-energy particles for a long time, which will result in serious radiation damage. It is important to assess the accumulated radiation damage during operation to determine the service life of each component. At present, the physical quantities used to evaluate the radiation damage degree of materials include displacement per atom (DPA), H and He production. In this work, the displacement damage cross sections of protons and neutrons and the H, He production cross sections for W, SS316 and Al-6061 materials are obtained by using PHITS. The effects of the Norgett-Robinson-Torrens (NRT) model and athermal recombination corrected (ARC) model on the calculation of displacement damage are analyzed. The results show that the cross section calculated based on ARC model is lower than that based on NRT model, because the NRT model does not take into account the resetting of the atoms before reaching thermodynamic equilibrium. On this basis, DPA, H and He production of the key components of the target station operating for 5000 h at a power of 500 kW are calculated by combining the baseline model of the second phase target station of the spallation neutron source in China. The results show that the yields of NRT-dpa, ARC-dpa, H and He produced by irradiation are 8.01 dpa/y (in this paper, 1 y = 2500 MW·h), 2.39 dpa/y, 5110 appm/y and 884 appm/y, respectively. The radiation damage values of the target vessel are 5.34 dpa/y, 1.92 dpa/y, 2180 appm/y and 334 appm/y, respectively. The radiation damage values of the moderators and reflectors are 3.78 dpa/y, 1.77 dpa/y, 124 appm/y, and 36.7 appm/y. The radiation damage values of the proton beam window are 0.35 dpa/y, 0.19 dpa/y, 962 appm/y, and 216 appm/y. Subsequently, the life of each component is estimated by analyzing the radiation damage. These results are very important for analyzing the radiation damage of these parts, and constructing reasonable maintenance programs.

The Department of Energy (DOE) has given the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) project approval to begin Title I design of the proposed facility to be built at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). During the conceptual design phase of the SNS project, the target station bulk-biological shield was characterized and the activation of the major target station components was calculated. Shielding requirements were assessed with respect to weight, space, and dose-rate constraints for operating, shutdown, and accident conditions utilizing the SNS shield design criteria, DOE Order 5480.25, and requirements specified in 10 CFR 835. Since completion of the conceptual design phase, there have been major design changes to the target station as a result of the initial shielding and activation analyses, modifications brought about due to engineering concerns, and feedback from numerous external review committees. These design changes have impacted the results of the conceptual design analyses, and consequently, have required a re-investigation of the new design. Furthermore, the conceptual design shielding analysis did not address many of the details associated with the engineering design of the target station. In this paper, some of the proposed SNS target station preliminary Title I shielding design analyses will be presented. The SNS facility (with emphasis on the target station), shielding design requirements, calculational strategy, and source terms used in the analyses will be described. Preliminary results and conclusions, along with recommendations for additional analyses, will also be presented.

The Second Target Station (STS) project at Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s spallation neutron source is a crucial initiative for maintaining U.S. leadership in neutron sciences. The STS aims to create the world’s brightest pulsed cold neutron source, enabling cutting-edge research across various scientific disciplines. To ensure safe and efficient maintenance operations, understanding the effects of shutdown dose rates from activated components within the STS target systems is essential. This study establishes a computational framework for calculating decay gamma sources and subsequent shutdown dose rates utilizing advanced methods to account for all activation channels, including high-energy interactions down to thermal neutron capture. This study describes a novel integration of multiple tools and provides an effective means of analyzing activation and shutdown dose rates at spallation neutron facilities. A custom-developed script automates the decay gamma source generation process, ensuring proper sampling during the variance reduction phase, which is critical for accurate predictions of shutdown dose rates.

Neutrino physics at spallation neutron sources

Among various types of neutron generators, the spallation neutron source is a unique way to generate high-energy and high-flux neutrons in a laboratory. The advantages of the spallation neutron source over other types of generators have been recognized; as a result, several spallation neutron facilities are in operation to provide users with high-quality neutron beams. For satisfying the demand for such a neutron facility in Korea, we have launched a project to construct a spallation neutron source facility by fully utilizing the high-power proton linear accelerator at the Korea Multipurpose Accelerator Complex (KOMAC) of the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI). In the facility, high-energy spallation neutrons can be generated by bombarding a thick metal target with a 100-MeV, 20-mA pulsed proton beam. In the present study, a neutron target system involving a target, moderator, and reflector (TMR) has been studied through extensive Monte- Carlo simulations. The detailed design of the TMR for generating thermal neutrons and guiding them to the experimental hall will be presented. Here, we present the result of numerical studies and the details of fundamental instruments, and we discuss future plans for the construction of the spallation neutron source facility at the KOMAC.

The Spallation Neutron Source (SNS), a major new user facility for materials research funded by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), is under construction at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), see the Spallation Neutron Source web site at: www.sns.gov/aboutsns/source/htm. The SNS will operate at a proton beam power of 1.4 MW delivered in short pulses at 60 Hz; this power level is an order of magnitude higher than that of the current most intense pulsed spallation neutron facility in the world, ISIS at the Rutherford-Appleton Laboratory in the United Kingdom: 160 kW at 50 Hz. When completed in 2006, the SNS will supply the research community with neutron beams of unprecedented intensity and a powerful, diverse instrument suite with exceptional capabilities. Together, these will enable a new generation of experimental studies of interest to chemists, condensed matter physicists, biologists, materials scientists, and engineers, in an ever-increasing range of applications. The Long-Wavelength Target Station (LWTS) complements the High-Power Target Station (HPTS) facility, which is already under construction, and will leverage the significant investment in the remainder of the complex, providing important new scientific opportunities. The fully equipped SNS will offer capabilities for neutron scattering studies of the structure and dynamics of materials with sensitivity, resolution, dynamic range, and speed that are unparalleled in the world.

Proton beam window (PBW) is a boundary wall between a high vacuum area in the proton beam line and the helium atmosphere in a helium vessel at a high beam power target. The thermal and mechanical problems of the PBW have been studied in other spallation neutron sources; however, the scattering effect in PBW is seldom reported in literature but it may pose serious problems for the target design if not well treated. This paper will report the simulation studies of the scattering effect in PBW. Different materials and different structures of PBW are discussed. Taking CSNS as an example, a thin single-layer aluminum alloy PBW with edge cooling has been chosen for CSNS-I and CSNS-II, and a sandwiched aluminum alloy PBW has been chosen for CSNS-III. Simulations results of the scattering effect in the presence of beam uniformization at target by using non-linear magnets at the different CSNS PBWs are presented. The simulations show that the scattering effect at PBW is very important in the beam loss and the beam distribution at the target.

The shielding at an accelerator-driven spallation neutron facility plays a critical role in the performance of the neutron scattering instruments, the overall safety, and the total cost of the facility. Accurate simulation of shielding components is thus key for the design of upcoming facilities, such as the European Spallation Source (ESS), currently in construction in Lund, Sweden. In this paper, we present a comparative study between the measured and the simulated neutron background at the Swiss Spallation Neutron Source (SINQ), at the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI), Villigen, Switzerland. The measurements were carried out at several positions along the SINQ monolith wall with the neutron dosimeter WENDI-2, which has a well-characterized response up to 5 GeV. The simulations were performed using the Monte-Carlo radiation transport code Geant4, and include a complete transport from the proton beam to the measurement locations in a single calculation. An agreement between measurements and simulations is about a factor of 2 for the points where the measured radiation dose is above the background level, which is a satisfactory result for such simulations spanning many energy regimes, different physics processes and transport through several meters of shielding materials. The neutrons contributing to the radiation field emanating from the monolith were confirmed to originate from neutrons with energies above 1 MeV in the target region. The current work validates Geant4 as being well suited for deep-shielding calculations at accelerator-based spallation sources. We also extrapolate what the simulated flux levels might imply for short (several tens of meters) instruments at ESS.

The intense radiation environment of a neutron moderator provides a mechanism for significant up-conversion of parahydrogen to orthohydrogen inside the moderator, as well as intrinsically catalyzing relaxation of orthohydrogen to parahydrogen. It is plausible that the steady-state orthohydrogen fraction of a moderator in a radiation environment such as at the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) or the European Spallation Source (ESS) is as high as 30 % without supplemental catalysis. Direct measurement of the orthohydrogen fraction in the liquid hydrogen flow itself is essential to predict and monitor moderator performance, especially for thick or flat moderator concepts such as the ones that have been proposed for the ESS and for upgrades to the SNS. Raman spectroscopy provides a well-known method for directly measuring the hydrogen make-up in an unambiguous way. We describe our tests of Raman spectroscopy for application to the measurement of the orthohydrogen fraction of the hydrogen moderators at SNS and at the ESS. As part of this work, we have additionally developed a sample holder that has been used to perform simultaneous Raman and neutron vibrational spectroscopy on the VISION spectrometer at SNS. We discuss our plans to incorporate such a system as a diagnostic for liquid hydrogen moderators at SNS and at the ESS.

Characterization of an explosively bonded aluminum proton beam window for the Spallation Neutron Source

The European Spallation Source (ESS) is the European common effort in designing and building a next generation large-scale user facility for studies of the structure and dynamics of materials. The proposed schematic layout of the ESS facility is based on a linear driver (linac) directing the proton beam (5 MW of 2.5 GeV) of 2.8 ms long pulses with a 20 Hz on a tungsten target where neutrons are produced via spallation reactions. Further the neutrons will be moderated to thermal and subthermal energies in a couple of moderators placed around the target. The moderators feed 22 beamlines guiding the neutrons to the scattering instruments, mainly for neutron scattering research, as has been previously mentioned. The objective of this work is to develop a waste management plan for ESS facility. In this respect two important aspects are analyzed. First the present status of the problem is outlined as follow. Estimate types and quantities of waste that the ESS project will generate at different stages: commission, operation, decommissioning were derived using: i) precise Monte Carlo calculations ii) scaling the activity from the operation experience of the existing spallation source installations for waste such it is difficult to predict level of activation or for components of the facility in stage of the pre-conceptual model. Associated waste treatment/conditioning options and final disposal route were further analyzed in order to define the waste type and packet descriptions in agreement with Swedish regulations and policy. It was found that the compilation of completely new waste type descriptions for qualification of the ESS waste for disposal will be necessary. Particular attention was devoted to “problematic waste” as Beryllium reflector, C-14 from graphite used as core zone of the beam-dump and collimators or waste arising from the purification systems of both Helium and water cooling circuits. Management of waste on ESS site: collection/segregation systems, characterization system, storage options, is also described. In the second step, the acquired information is used for planning and implementing actions involving all participants (ESS, treatment facility operator, disposal operator, regulatory body and other authorized authorities).

Definition of Capabilities Needed for a Single Event Effects Test Facility

Summary of the Fourth International Workshop on Spallation Materials Technology (IWSMT-4)

Radiation damage and lifetime estimation of the proton beam window at the Japan Spallation Neutron Source

The target segments of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory Second Target Station (STS) neutron production facility become highly activated due to spallation reactions or nuclei transmutation by primary protons and emitted neutrons. Once the target segments are removed from their location within the core vessel, decay dose rates must be accurately quantified to determine the shielding configurations of remote-handling tools and transport casks and to aid in planning maintenance activities. For this analysis, we utilized a hybrid unstructured mesh (UM)/constructive solid geometry approach for calculating spallation products and neutron fluxes, activation calculations using the AARE package that includes the CINDER2008 activation code to calculate the decay photon source at different cooling times, and the ADVANTG code to accelerate the final decay photon transport calculation. Both Type 316 stainless steel (SS-316) and lead were investigated as candidates for shielding materials. The decay photon transport calculation through the thick SS-316 or lead shields exhibited between 25 and 30 orders-of-magnitude attenuations in the radial direction, depending on the shield. Such a difficult shielding calculation required advanced variance reduction. ADVANTG has some missing features, which limits its usability in spallation neutron source applications. It does not support volumetric sources created for MCNP6.2 UM capability. An approximate source was created for this problem. Not only was this approximate source needed for running the ADVANTG calculation to generate the weight windows, but also it was essential to develop source biasing (SB) parameters that were crucial for dramatically accelerating the decay photon transport in this problem. With this approximate source, the analysis was completed in a very reasonable computational time, and the design of the STS remote-handling equipment was finalized. This paper compares the efficiency of Monte Carlo simulations with different weight window and SB parameters calculated using different approximate ADVANTG calculations.