• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.50 no.1
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• pp.203-210
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• 2018

As the modernization of the nuclear instrumentation system progresses, research reactors have adopted digital wide-range neutron power measurement (DWRNPM) systems. These systems typically monitor the neutron flux across a range of over 10 decades. Because neutron detectors only measure the local neutron flux at their position, the local neutron flux must be converted to total reactor power through calibration, which involves mapping the local neutron flux level to a reference reactor power. Conventionally, the neutron power range is divided into smaller subranges because the neutron detector signal characteristics and the reference reactor power estimation methods are different for each subrange. Therefore, many factors should be considered when preparing the calibration procedure for DWRNPM channels. The main purpose of this work is to serve as a reference for performing the calibration of DWRNPM systems in research reactors. This work provides a comprehensive overview of the calibration of DWRNPM channels by describing the configuration of the DWRNPM system and by summarizing the theories of operation and the reference power estimation methods with their associated calibration procedure. The calibration procedure was actually performed during the commissioning of an open-pool type research reactor, and the results and experience are documented herein.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.243-248
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• 2001

Neutron reference fields of Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI) for calibrating neutron measuring devices to be used in radiation workplace monitoring consist of two kinds of neutron spectra, the direct and the scattered neutron fields, which are produced by using radionuclide neutron sources, 252Cf and 241AmBe sources. Necessary parameters for calibration such as the anisotropy factor of each neutron source and the room-scattered fraction of some neutron surveymeters in the KAERI calibration facility were determined by calculation or measurement. Spectral measurement of scattered neutron fields were performed at each reference calibration point using a Bonner Multi-sphere Spectrometer (BMS) and the dosimetric quantities for calibration also estimated from the neutron energy spectra which were unfolded using the BUNKI code.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.47 no.7
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• pp.939-944
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• 2015

The calibration methods of neutron-measuring devices such as the neutron survey meter have advantages and disadvantages. To compare the calibration factors obtained by the shadow cone method and semi-empirical method, 10 neutron survey meters of five different types were used in this study. This experiment was performed at the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI; Daejeon, South Korea), and the calibration neutron fields were constructed using a $^{252}Californium$ ($^{252}Cf$) neutron source, which was positioned in the center of the neutron irradiation room. The neutron spectra of the calibration neutron fields were measured by a europium-activated lithium iodide scintillator in combination with KAERI's Bonner sphere system. When the shadow cone method was used, 10 single moderator-based survey meters exhibited a smaller calibration factor by as much as 3.1-9.3% than that of the semi-empirical method. This finding indicates that neutron survey meters underestimated the scattered neutrons and attenuated neutrons (i.e., the total scatter corrections). This underestimation of the calibration factor was attributed to the fact that single moderator-based survey meters have an under-ambient dose equivalent response in the thermal or thermal-dominant neutron field. As a result, when the shadow cone method is used for a single moderator-based survey meter, an additional correction and the International Organization for Standardization standard 8529-2 for room-scattered neutrons should be considered.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.211-215
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• 2016

Background: The moderated neutron calibration fields using $^{241}Am$-Be sources and a graphite moderator have been constructed at the Facility of Radiation Standard (FRS) in the Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA). Materials and Methods: The neutron spectra of the fields were evaluated by the Monte-Carlo calculations and measurements using the Bonner Multi-sphere Spectrometer. Results and Discussion: The fields have continuous neutron spectra from several MeV to thermal neutron energy, with fluence-averaged energies of 0.84 MeV and 0.60 MeV. Reference values of fluence rates and ambient/personal dose equivalent rates were determined from neutron spectra by measurements. Conclusion: Currently, the fields are available for calibration or performance test of neutron measuring instruments.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.327-335
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• 2003

The commercially available neutron survey meter, the REM500, which uses a tissue equivalent proportional counter (TEPC) and the self-constructed TEPC were used to determine the microdosimetric quantities of several neutron calibration fields at Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI). Microdosimetric spectra, absorbed dose, dose equivalent as well as quality factor were derived and compared with several neutron fields which were produced by using the shadow objects to make neutron scattered and being used as a kind of realistic neutron calibration fields at KAERI. The response of REM500 as a function of mean energy was evaluated with these neutron fields using the counts measured and the predetermined reference value. The response of the self-made TEPC and the REM500 was compared using one of the neutron calibration filelds of a $^{252}Cf$ source. The reference quantities of scattered neutron calibration fields were determined using a Bonner Sphere (BS). The value of frequency-mean lineal energy, dose-mean lineal energy and quality factor of two $^{252}Cf$ sources (unmoderated and $D_2O$ moderated) were determined to check the differences in the reference neutron fields between KAERI and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL, USA) and the results were in good agreement within 1%. It means that there is no big difference in dosimetric quantifies of neutron calibration fields of two laboratories.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.31-35
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• 2007

Energy calibration is important to identify accurate neutron capture resonance energy in the neutron TOF (Time-of-Flight) experiment. In present study, the accurate neutron capture resonance energies of natural Sm were measured by using a 46-MeV electron linear accelerator (linac) at the Research Reactor Institute, Kyoto University(KURRI). The BGO spectrometer were adopted for measurement the prompt capture gamma-ray of the sample. To obtain energy calibration curve, resonance energy of a gold sample used as standard resonance energy Mughabghab's data (From neutron resonance parameters data). Previous data (by Mughabghab) of natural Sm sample have been compared with the present result.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.29-33
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• 1997

Neutron room scattering corrections that should be made when neutron detectors are calibrated with a $D_2O$ moderated $^{252}Cf$ neutron source in the center of a calibration room are considered. Such room scattering corrections are dependent on specific neutron source type, detector type, calibration distance, and calibration room configuration. Room scattering corrections for the responses of a thermoluminescence dosimeter and two different types of spherical detectors to neutron source in the Radiation Calibration Laboratory(RCL) neutron calibration facility at the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute(KAERI) were experimentally determined and are presented. The measured room scattering results are then compared with theoretical results calculated by predicting room scattering effects in terms of parameters related to the specific configuration. Agreement between measured and calculated scattering correction is generally about 10% for three kinds of detectors in the calibration facility.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.56 no.9
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• pp.3602-3607
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• 2024

The present work is devoted to implementation of the stilbene-based neutron spectrometer energy calibration method. The results of experiments with portable neutron generators and 238PuBe source and scattering materials with known cross sections are used for this method. It is shown that the submitted method makes it possible to carry out fast neutron spectrometry in the energy range from 1 to 15 MeV with the uncertainty of the unfolded neutron energy no more than 200 keV. Neutron spectra unfolding was carried out based on the measured spectra and a Geant4 simulated response matrix. Unfolded spectra were compared with the literature data and reference spectra.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.277-284
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• 2017

This paper presents the establishment and characterization of a neutron calibration field using a bare $^{252}Cf$ source of low neutron source strength in Vietnam. The characterization of the field in terms of neutron flux spectra and neutron ambient dose equivalent rates were performed by Monte Carlo simulations using the MCNP5 code. The anisotropy effect of the source was also investigated. The neutron ambient dose equivalent rates at three reference distances of 75, 125, and 150 cm from the source were calculated and compared with the measurements using the Aloka TPS-451C neutron survey meters. The discrepancy between the calculated and measured values is found to be about 10%. To separate the scattered and the direct components from the total neutron flux spectra, an in-house shadow cone of 10% borated polyethylene was used. The shielding efficiency of the shadow cone was estimated using the MCNP5 code. The results confirmed that the shielding efficiency of the shadow cone is acceptable.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.66-70
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• 1989

In routine testing, the radioactive neutron sources are particularly suitable for producing standard. neutron fields. The ISO TC-85 has proposed neutron reference radiation for the calibration of neutron measuring devices used for radiation protection purposes. Radiation laboratory of KSRI has installed a standard irradiation facility using $^{252}Cf$ and $^{241}Am-Be$ sources for calibrating personal dosimeters according to the recommendations given in ISO TC-85. In this study, correction factors for calibration related to neutron scattering and anisotropy are obtained by experiments with commercial rem meter for demonstration purposes.