Longitudinal Proton Polarization in the Cooler

This research was sponsored by the National Science Foundation Grant NSF PHY-931478

Micro-Pocket Fission Detectors (MPFD) For Fuel Assembly Analysis

Neutron sensors capable of real-time measurement of thermal flux, fast flux, and temperature in a single miniaturized probe are needed in irradiation tests required to demonstrate the performance of candidate new fuels, and cladding materials. In-core ceramic-based miniature neutron detectors or “Micro-Pocket Fission Detectors” (MPFDs) have been studied at Kansas State University (KSU). The first MPFD prototypes were tested in various neutron fields at the KSU TRIGA research reactor with successful results. Currently, a United States Department of Energy-sponsored joint KSU/Idaho National Laboratory (INL) effort is underway to develop a high-temperature, high-pressure version of the MPFD using radiation-resistant, high temperature materials, which would be capable of withstanding irradiation test conditions in high performance material and test reactors (MTRs). Ultimately, this more compact, more accurate, and longer lifetime flux sensor for critical mock-ups, existing and advanced reactor designs, high performance MTRs, and transient test reactors has the potential to lead to higher accuracy and resolution data from irradiation testing, more detailed core flux measurements and enhanced fuel assembly processing. Prior evaluations by KSU indicate that these sensors could also be used to monitor burn-up of nuclear fuel. If integrated into nuclear fuel assemblies, MPFDs offer several advantages to current spent fuel management systems

NEET Micro-Pocket Fission Detector -- FY 2012 Status Report

A research program has been initiated by the NEET program for developing and testing compact miniature fission chambers capable of simultaneously measuring thermal neutron flux, fast neutron flux and temperature within a single package. When implemented, these sensors will significantly advance flux detection capabilities for irradiation tests in US Materials Test Reactors (MTRs).Ultimately, evaluations may lead to a more compact, more accurate, and longer lifetime flux sensor for critical mock-ups, high performance reactors and commercial nuclear power plants. Deployment of Micro-Pocket Fission Detectors (MPFDs) in US DOE-NE program irradiation tests will address several challenges: Current fission chamber technologies do not offer the ability to measure fast flux, thermal flux and temperature within a single compact probe, MPFDs offer this option. MPFD construction is very different then current fission chamber construction; the use of high temperature materials allow MPFDs to be specifically tailored to survive harsh conditions in typical high performance MTR irradiation tests. New high-fidelity reactor physics codes will need a small, accurate, multipurpose in-core sensor to validate the codes without perturbing the validation experiment; MPFDs fill this requirement. MPFDs can be built with variable sensitivities to survive the lifetime of an experiment or fuel assembly in some MTRs; allowing for more efficient and cost effective power monitoring. The small size of the MPFDs allows multiple sensors to be simultaneously deployed; obtaining data required to visualize the reactor flux and temperature profiles. This report summarizes the research progress for year 1 of this 3 year project. An updated design of the MPFD has been developed, materials and tools to support the new design have been procured, construction methods to support the new design have been initiated at INL’s HTTL and KSU’s SMART Laboratory, plating methods are being updated at KSU, new detector electronics have been designed, built and tested at KSU. In addition, a project meeting was held at KSU and a detector evaluation plan has been initiated between INL and KSU. Once NEET program evaluations are completed, the final MPFD will be deployed in MTR irradiations, enabling DOE-NE programs evaluating the performance of candidate new fuels and materials to better characterize irradiation test conditions

NEET Micro-Pocket Fission Detector -- FY 2012 Status Report

A research program has been initiated by the NEET program for developing and testing compact miniature fission chambers capable of simultaneously measuring thermal neutron flux, fast neutron flux and temperature within a single package. When implemented, these sensors will significantly advance flux detection capabilities for irradiation tests in US Materials Test Reactors (MTRs).Ultimately, evaluations may lead to a more compact, more accurate, and longer lifetime flux sensor for critical mock-ups, high performance reactors and commercial nuclear power plants. Deployment of Micro-Pocket Fission Detectors (MPFDs) in US DOE-NE program irradiation tests will address several challenges: Current fission chamber technologies do not offer the ability to measure fast flux, thermal flux and temperature within a single compact probe, MPFDs offer this option. MPFD construction is very different then current fission chamber construction; the use of high temperature materials allow MPFDs to be specifically tailored to survive harsh conditions in typical high performance MTR irradiation tests. New high-fidelity reactor physics codes will need a small, accurate, multipurpose in-core sensor to validate the codes without perturbing the validation experiment; MPFDs fill this requirement. MPFDs can be built with variable sensitivities to survive the lifetime of an experiment or fuel assembly in some MTRs; allowing for more efficient and cost effective power monitoring. The small size of the MPFDs allows multiple sensors to be simultaneously deployed; obtaining data required to visualize the reactor flux and temperature profiles. This report summarizes the research progress for year 1 of this 3 year project. An updated design of the MPFD has been developed, materials and tools to support the new design have been procured, construction methods to support the new design have been initiated at INL’s HTTL and KSU’s SMART Laboratory, plating methods are being updated at KSU, new detector electronics have been designed, built and tested at KSU. In addition, a project meeting was held at KSU and a detector evaluation plan has been initiated between INL and KSU. Once NEET program evaluations are completed, the final MPFD will be deployed in MTR irradiations, enabling DOE-NE programs evaluating the performance of candidate new fuels and materials to better characterize irradiation test conditions

Micro-Pocket Fission Detectors (MPFD) for Fuel Assembly Analysis ICEM2013 ICEM2013-96238 MICRO-POCKET FISSION DETECTORS (MPFD) FOR FUEL ASSEMBLY ANALYSIS

ABSTRACT Neutron sensors capable of real-time measurement of thermal flux, fast flux, and temperature in a single miniaturized probe are needed in irradiation tests required to demonstrate the performance of candidate new fuels, and cladding materials. Incore ceramic-based miniature neutron detectors or "MicroPocket Fission Detectors" (MPFDs) have been studied at Kansas State University (KSU). The first MPFD prototypes were tested in various neutron fields at the KSU TRIGA research reactor with successful results. Currently, a United States Department of Energy-sponsored joint KSU/Idaho National Laboratory (INL) effort is underway to develop a high-temperature, high-pressure version of the MPFD using radiation-resistant, high temperature materials, which would be capable of withstanding irradiation test conditions in high performance material and test reactors (MTRs). Ultimately, this more compact, more accurate, and longer lifetime flux sensor for critical mock-ups, existing and advanced reactor designs, high performance MTRs, and transient test reactors has the potential to lead to higher accuracy and resolution data from irradiation testing, more detailed core flux measurements and enhanced fuel assembly processing. Prior evaluations by KSU indicate that these sensors could also be used to monitor burn-up of nuclear fuel. If integrated into nuclear fuel assemblies, MPFDs offer several advantages to current spent fuel management systems. INTRODUCTION Development and deployment of a small, accurate, and robust, temperature and neutron flux measurement system is an important enhancement for advancing nuclear fuel technology. Ionization chambers and fission chambers are commonly use

Ethanol fermentation from food processing waste

This study focuses on the use of restaurant waste for production of ethanol. Food wastes (corn, potatoes, and pasta) were converted to ethanol in a two-step process: a two-part enzymatic digestion of starch using alpha-amylase and glucoamylase and then fermentation of the resulting sugars to ethanol using yeast. Because of the low initial composition of starch in the food waste, low ethanol concentrations were achieved: at best 8 mg/ml ethanol (0.8 % by mass). Ethanol concentration increased with increasing enzyme dosage levels. Calculations were conducted to evaluate whether waste heat from restaurant waste could be used to drive flash vaporization to purify ethanol. If the solution produced by fermenting food waste is flashed at a temperature of 99.7°C, 77% of the ethanol is recovered in a vapor stream with 1.14 mole% ethanol (2.87 mass %). Waste heat could provide over a third of the energy for this vaporization process. If 4 mole% ethanol could be produced in the fermentation step by increasing the initial starch content in the waste solution and improving the fermentation process, then a single flash at 98.9°C will recover nearly 99% of the ethanol, giving a mass concentration of ethanol of 10.3%, which is similar to that achieved in industrial grain fermentation

An accurate and portable solid state neutron rem meter

Accurately resolving the ambient neutron dose equivalent spanning the thermal to 15 MeV energy range with a single configuration and lightweight instrument is desirable. This paper presents the design of a portable, high intrinsic efficiency, and accurate neutron rem meter whose energy-dependent response is electronically adjusted to a chosen neutron dose equivalent standard. The instrument may be classified as a moderating type neutron spectrometer, based on an adaptation to the classical Bonner sphere and position sensitive long counter, which, simultaneously counts thermalized neutrons by high thermal efficiency solid state neutron detectors. The use of multiple detectors and moderator arranged along an axis of symmetry (e.g., long axis of a cylinder) with known neutron-slowing properties allows for the construction of a linear combination of responses that approximate the ambient neutron dose equivalent. Variations on the detector configuration are investigated via Monte Carlo N-Particle simulations to minimize the total instrument mass while maintaining acceptable response accuracy—a dose error less than 15% for bare [superscript 252]Cf, bare AmBe, an epi-thermal and mixed monoenergetic sources is found at less than 4.5 kg moderator mass in all studied cases. A comparison of the energy dependent dose equivalent response and resultant energy dependent dose equivalent error of the present dosimeter to commercially-available portable rem meters and the prior art are presented. Finally, the present design is assessed by comparison of the simulated output resulting from applications of several known neutron sources and dose rates