Modification of the neutron beam spectrum for neutron radiography at Tehran Research Reactor (TRR)

Abstract

Recently due to the replacement of the High Enriched Uranium (HEU) fuel with the Low Enriched Uranium (LEU) fuel and the changes in the reactor core configuration at TRR, the existing Neutron Radiography (NR) system was no longer efficient. Thus, it was decided to modify the system in order to increase the neutron flux and to improve the characteristics of the system. The neutron energy spectrum was measured by foil activation method using SAND-II code and calculated by ANISN/PC code. The general trend of the calculated and measured spectra show good similarity. By introducing different sizes of moderator and gamma absorber behind the collimator, the optimum thermal neutron flux impinge the collimator was calculated using ANISN/PC code. The inlet diameter of the collimator was changed from 1.8 to 5 cm in order to increase the neutron flux at the sample position, which should result in an increase of 8 fold in spite of a small increase in the geometrical unsharpness. The new beam characteristics at the sample position are predicted as an average thermal neutron flux of about 10 6 n cm 2 s 1 and a neutron to gamma ratio of about 10 6 n cm 2 mR −1.