Instrumentation for neutron flux and tritium production rate monitoring in the European TBM in ITER

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

  • Axel Klix - , Chair of Nuclear Physics, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (Author)
  • Maurizio Angelone - , Agenzia nazionale per le nuove tecnologie, l'energia e lo sviluppo economico sostenibile (Author)
  • Ulrich Fischer - , Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (Author)
  • Daniel Gehre - , Chair of Nuclear Physics, TUD Dresden University of Technology (Author)
  • Gabor Kleizer - , Budapest University of Technology and Economics (Author)
  • Abdallah Lyoussi - , French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) (Author)
  • Tom Ruecker - , Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences (Author)
  • Istvan Rovni - , Budapest University of Technology and Economics (Author)
  • Dora Szalkai - , Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (Author)

Abstract

Test blanket modules (TBMs) will be installed in the ITER with the aim to investigate the nuclear performance of different breeding blanket designs for fusion power reactors. Here, we present an overview of our ongoing work on three types of neutron flux monitors under development at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) for the TBMs. A foil activation system with pneumatic sample transport was constructed by KIT utilizing the intense DT neutron generator of Technical University of Dresden. It is used as a test bench for the development of a neutron activation system for the TBMs. Self-powered neutron detectors (SPNDs) are widely applied in fission reactor monitoring, and the commercially available SPNDs are sensitive to thermal neutrons. We are investigating novel materials for SPND which would be sensitive also to the fast neutron flux expected in the TBMs. Within the I-SMART project, funded by KIC InnoEnergy, KIT is developing an online detector based on silicon carbide electronics for the TBMs.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Article number6891325
Pages (from-to)3441-3444
Number of pages4
JournalIEEE transactions on plasma science
Volume42
Issue number10
Publication statusPublished - 1 Oct 2014
Peer-reviewedYes

Keywords

Keywords

  • Helium-cooled lithium-lead (HCLL) test blanket module (TBM), helium-cooled pebble bed (HCPB) TBM, ITER TBM, neutronics instrumentation, TBM, tritium production rate