Thermal study of a non adiabatic differential calorimeter used for nuclear heating measurements inside an experimental channel of the Jules Horowitz Reactor

Abstract

New online in-pile measurement methods are crucial during irradiations in Material Testing Reactors (MTR) for a better understanding of accelerated material ageing and nuclear fuel behaviour. In particular, instrumentation for measurements of one relevant parameter: nuclear heat deposition rate, called nuclear heating, has to be improved. The knowledge of this quantity is a great interest for various safety, scientist and end-user requirements (design of specific irradiation devices and associated cooling systems with imposed conditions). This paper focuses on thermal experimental and numerical studies carried out under non irradiation conditions on an in-pile calorimeter dedicated to nuclear heating quantification inside a new experimental device which will be dedicated to the experimental condition mapping (neutron and photon fluxes and nuclear heating) inside the JHR experimental channels. Experimental results concerning the calorimeter response during its electrical calibration (<3W) under laminar forced convection conditions show that its sensitivity does not depend on the cooling flow. Temperature and heat flux density measurements lead to the conclusion of a good directional conductive heat flow design (increased with a higher Reynolds number). A parametric numerical stationary study highlights a sensor sensitivity increasing. At last, the usual calorimeter design is compared to a single calorimeter which gives promising results (miniaturization, higher sensitivity).