The development and optimization of gamma-ray spectrometry tools is crucial for ORANO Mining and uranium geophysical exploration. This study presents a comprehensive characterisation of the ALT QL40-SGR-2G spectrometric probe, equipped with a cerium bromide (CeBr3) detector. This characterization was carried out at the Nuclear Measurement Laboratory of IRESNE, at CEA Cadarache, France. We...
Recent research at Idaho National Laboratory (INL) has advanced several technologies usable for structural health monitoring (SHM) in existing and advanced reactors. Advanced SHM capabilities will enable safer operation of existing and advanced reactors by allowing for early detection of operating condition changes caused by wear or damage to essential components. These reactors will also be...
As one of the world's pioneers in nuclear energy, France has long relied on nuclear power to meet its growing energy needs. In response to the aging of the reactors, fourth-generation sodium-cooled reactor projects have been initiated, requiring advanced instrumentation such as high-temperature ultrasonic transducers developed by the CEA to monitor submerged structures. The High-Temperature...
The High Temperature Gas-cooled Reactors (HTGRs), which have been developed as a next-generation nuclear reactor, have an in-core temperature of about 900 oC. The ultra-high temperatures make it difficult to use conventional nuclear instrumentation systems, and novel neutron detectors with high temperature tolerance are expected to be realized. Neutron detection using BGaN semiconductor is a...
The small modular reactor which of development is underway has 170 MW power. As supposed, this reactor is a type of integrated with core, pressurizer, steam generator, and reactor coolant pump, which are all enclosed by the containment vessel as pressure barrier. Despite lots of advantage of the small modular reactor like enhanced safety and less severe accident risk, the narrow space in the...
Raylab Starlite neutron survey meter was evaluated in CANDU neutron fields, against Nested Neutron Spectrometer (NNS) and a current official CANDU neutron survey meter Canberraโs NP-100, also known as Snoopy. The NNS is a cylindrical neutron spectrometer, based on Bonner sphere principles, while Starlite is a novice, multidetector, light neutron survey meter, designed and manufactured by...
Neutron radiography is a powerful non-destructive testing method that employs neutron flux to visualize internal structures and defects in materials. Our research focuses on the use of imaging techniques in combination with a deuterium-deuterium (D-D) neutron generator. The primary technique is neutron defectoscopy utilizing fast neutrons. Main advantage of this method is that it allows us for...
In the past years, a standard channel solution for the Excore Neutron Flux Instrumentation System has been developed by Framatome. The Framatome Excore standard channels are a highly integrated solution which comprises the analog and digital processing part. One advantage of the automated solution is the use of the Teleperm XS (TXS) Service Unit for calibration and testing with a proven...
CEA Valduc center produces nuclear waste that must be characterized before being discarded. The characterization is mainly done by gamma spectrometry. However, in the case of waste containing high-density metallic items, passive neutron measurements are necessary. To meet this need, and constrained by the difficulty of obtaining supplies of helium-3 tubes, the waste characterization unit had...
This research presents an enhancement to the Integrated Dry Route (IDR) process for uranium conversion in nuclear fuel fabrication, aiming to create a more adaptive system capable of dynamically responding to fluctuations in key variables. The approach involves applying advanced data conditioning and feature extraction methods to process historical industrial datasets, ensuring effective...
The only way to optimize the use of plutonium and minor actinides is to close the fuel cycle. This involves recovering uranium and plutonium from spent fuel to fabricate new fuels, such as MOX. The production of (U,Pu)O2ยฑx oxide must comply with the specifications in terms of precise plutonium content, controlled oxygen deviation from stoichiometry, and homogeneity of the distribution of...
The potentiometric method for determining the corrosion rate of heat-emitting elements is one of the most effective methods for monitoring the condition of nuclear reactor heat-emitting elements materials. It is based on measuring the electrode potential, which is a function of the corrosion potential. The corrosion process is accompanied by changes in the composition of the heat-emitting...
Currently, there is a need to develop equipment capable of performing the inspection of dry spent fuel storage casks at Nuclear Power Plants as part of their Life Management Plan. The individual modules are composed of a concrete cover that integrates and protects the multipurpose steel capsule that houses the fuel inside. Due to the structural characteristics of the modular tanks and in...
In the framework of plutonium characterization in radioactive waste drums by passive neutron multiplicity counting, the Nuclear Measurement Laboratory of CEA Cadarache is studying plastic scintillators as a cost-effective alternative to 3He gas proportional counters. Plastic scintillators offer a three order of magnitude faster time response than 3He detectors, large and easy-to-shape...
One promising next-generation fuel form for advanced nuclear reactors is TRISO (tristructural isotropic) fuel, which consists of sub-millimeter-diameter uranium-bearing fuel kernels encapsulated in multiple layers of carbon and ceramic materials. Thousands of these micro-spheres are then dispersed in a carbon or ceramic matrix. The U.S. Department of Energyโs (DOE) Advanced Gas Reactor (AGR)...
The detection of 2.223 MeV ฮณ-ray emissions resulting from neutron capture on hydrogen, as a means to monitor water presence in spent nuclear fuel (SNF) assemblies is described. Water detection is crucial because water ingress into dry storage systems or other containment environments poses safety risks and potential criticality concerns. This study thus aims to explore the use of the...
This study will describe how hyperspectral imaging (HSI) can be used as a tool to detect and quantify fission products in uranium dioxide (UOโ) nuclear fuel pellets. The rapid, non-contact capabilities of HSI offer a promising approach for spent nuclear fuel analysis in high-risk hot cell environments. An HSI system is used to analyse sintered UOโ pellets and SIMFuel pellets (UOโ doped with...
In pressurized water reactors (PWRs), including VVER-type reactors, slow changes in reactivity are controlled using boric acid dissolved in the coolant of the primary circuit. Dissolved boric acid is also one of the solutions used by the nuclear industry to prevent any criticality events in spent fuel pools.
Framatome's Continuous Measurement of Boron Concentration (COMBO) allows the early...
The Tube Support Plate blockage, also named clogging, is a complex phenomenon that can occur in the steam generator of Pressurized Water Reactors. This deposit of iron oxides, that can reduce the coolant flux and constraint the primary tubes, could have significant consequences on heat exchanges and the integrity of the primary tubes. Since 2014, the representative dedicated equipment, named...
Detecting and discriminating heavy charged particles from background radiation at high temperatures is of interest for nuclear applications, including basic research in fusion and fission energy, reactor monitoring, fuel reprocessing, and isotope production. We investigated the detection and discrimination between alpha and beta particles compatible with liquid environments, significantly...
In the frame of the partnership between รlectricitรฉ de France (EDF), Commissariat ร l'รฉnergie atomique et aux รฉnergies alternatives (CEA) and FRAMATOME, ultrasonic acoustic instrumentation is developed to measure mixing grid vibrations on assemblies in the HERMES P loop on the POSEIDON platform at CEA Cadarache. This facility is a full-scale model of a Pressurised Water Reactor assembly,...
The accurate assessment of fissile mass within radioactive waste drums is crucial for effective radioactive waste management, nuclear safety, and criticality prevention. Passive and active neutron measurements are indispensable tools for quantifying residual actinides of interest, such as plutonium and uranium, in both waste management and spent fuel reprocessing contexts. For several years,...
Nuclear Power reactors of all generations and types require for their safe and efficient operation a set of instrumentation systems to monitor reactor conditions and allow for countermeasures in case the measured parameters exceed certain thresholds. The lifecycle of the instrumentation systems encompasses several steps from design and development of a prototype to operation in a commercial...
The renewed interest in nuclear power as clean energy source is fueled by the development of a new generation of advanced reactor concepts focused on compact and modular designs. These small modular reactors (20 to 300 MWe) and microreactors (1 to 20 MWe) are designed to enable flexibility and scalability for deployment, which increases their marketability while maintaining the promise of...
The Excore measurement system is crucial for maintaining the performance and safety of the European Pressurized Water Reactor (EPR). As a Generation III+ nuclear reactor, the EPR incorporates state-of-the-art safety systems designed to enhance operational safety and reliability. The Excore system further strengthens this safety architecture by enabling continuous, real-time monitoring of core...
Westinghouse Electric Company, LLC is developing the eVinciโข microreactor, a next generation reactor capable of rapid deployment to several unique energy applications. The eVinciโข is designed to produce an energy output of 5MWe and15MWth for eight or more full-power years before refueling. The microreactorโs innovative heat pipe design combines technological innovation with the support of 60+...
During the irradiation process, fission gases, such as helium, xenon and krypton, are released and the pressure inside the fuel rods increases. The internal pressure as well as the composition of the fission gases present within the plenum of the fuel rod are of major interest to nuclear power plant operators as they can be accurate indicators of the fuel behavior and reflect the overall fuel...
