Open AccessChanges of the Neutron Flux of the Nuclear Reactor Triga Mark III Since the Conversion from High to Low 235U Enrichment
Author(s) -
C. VázquezLópez,
O. Del Ángel-Gómez,
R. Raya-Arredondo,
S. Cruz-Galindo,
José Ignacio Golzarri-Moreno,
G. Espinosa
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
journal of nuclear physics, materials sciences, radiation and applications
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2321-9289
pISSN - 2321-8649
DOI - 10.15415/jnp.2021.82019
Subject(s) - triga , research reactor , neutron flux , nuclear engineering , neutron , nuclear physics , enriched uranium , neutron cross section , nuclear data , radiochemistry , nuclear reactor , nuclear reactor core , delayed neutron , materials science , neutron temperature , uranium , physics , chemistry , engineering
The neutron flux of the Triga Mark III research reactor was studied using nuclear track detectors. The facility of the National Institute for Nuclear Research (ININ), operates with a new core load of 85 LEU 30/20 (Low Enriched Uranium) fuel elements. The reactor provides a neutron flux around 2 × 1012 n cm-2s-1 at the irradiation channel. In this channel, CR-39 (allyl diglycol policarbonate) Landauer® detectors were exposed to neutrons; the detectors were covered with a 3 mm acrylic sheet for (n, p) reaction. Results show a linear response between the reactor power in the range 0.1 - 7 kW, and the average nuclear track density with data reproducibility and relatively low uncertainty (±5%). The method is a simple technique, fast and reliable procedure to monitor the research reactor operating power levels.