• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.273-280
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• 2014

The spectrum weighted responses of various detectors were calculated to provide guidance on the proper selection and use of survey instruments on the basis of their energy response characteristics on the neutron fields. To yield the spectrum weighted response, the detector response functions of 17 neutron-measuring devices were numerically folded with each of the produced calibration neutron spectra through the in-house developed software 'K-SWR'. The detectors' response functions were taken from the IAEA Technical Reports Series No. 403 (TRS-403). The reference neutron fields of 21 kinds with 2 spectra groups with different proportions of thermal and fast neutrons have been produced using neutrons from the $^{241}Am$-Be sources held in a graphite pile, a bare $^{241}Am$-Be source, and a DT neutron generator. Fluence-average energy ($E_{ave}$) varied from 3.8 MeV to 16.9 MeV, and the ambient-dose-equivalent rate [$H^*(10)/h$] varied from 0.99 to 16.5 mSv/h.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.55 no.11
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• pp.3925-3934
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• 2023

The importance of fast neutron detection for nuclear safeguards purposes has increased due to its potential advantages such as reasonable cost and higher precision for larger sample masses of nuclear materials. Pulse-shape discrimination (PSD) is inevitably used to discriminate neutron- and gamma-ray- induced signals from organic scintillators of very high gamma sensitivity. The light output (LO) threshold corresponding to several MeV of recoiled proton energy could be necessary to achieve fine PSD performance. However, this leads to neutron count losses and possible distortion of results obtained by neutron multiplicity counting (NMC)-based nuclear material accountancy (NMA). Moreover, conventional PSD techniques are not effective for counting of neutrons in a high-gamma-ray environment, even under a sufficiently high LO threshold. In the present work, PSD performance (figure-of-merit, FOM) according to LO bands was confirmed using a conventional charge comparison method (CCM) and compared with results obtained by convolution neural network (CNN)-based PSD algorithms. Also, it was attempted, for the first time ever, to reject fake neutron signals from distorted PSD regions where neutron-induced signals are normally detected. The overall results indicated that higher neutron detection efficiency with better accuracy could be achieved via CNN-based PSD algorithms.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.55 no.1
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• pp.201-208
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• 2023

The dependence of the electrical characteristics on the fast neutron fluence of an epitaxial 4H-SiC Schottky barrier diode (SBD) was investigated. The 30 MeV cyclotron was used for fast neutron irradiation. The neutron fluences evaluated through Monte Carlo simulation were in the 2.7 × 10¹¹ to 1.45 × 10¹³ neutrons/cm² range. Current-voltage and capacitance-voltage measurements were performed to characterize the samples by extracting the parameters of the irradiated SBDs. Neutron-induced defects in the epitaxial layer were identified and quantified using a deep-level transient spectroscopy measurement system developed at the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute. As the neutron fluence increased from 2.7 × 10¹¹ to 1.45 × 10¹³ neutrons/cm², the concentration of the Z_1/2 defects increased by approximately 20 times. The maximum defect concentration was estimated as 1.5 × 10¹⁴ cm^-3 at a neutron fluence of 1.45 × 10¹³ neutrons/cm².

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.117-122
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• 2020

The effects of fast neutron irradiation on the electrical and optical properties of Li (3 at%) doped ZnSnO (ZTO) thin films fabricated using a sol-gel process are investigated. From the results of Li-ZTO TFT characteristics according to change of neutron irradiation time, the saturation mobility is found to increase and threshold voltage values shift to a negative direction from 1,000 s neutron irradiation time. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis of the O 1s core level shows that the relative area of oxygen vacancies is almost unchanged with different irradiation times. From the results of band alignment, it is confirmed that, due to the increase of electron carrier concentration, the Fermi level (E_F) of the sample irradiated for 1,000 s is located at the position closest to the conduction band minimum. The increase in electron concentration is considered by looking at the shallow band edge state under the conduction band edge formed by fast neutron irradiation of more than 1,000 s.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.133-136
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• 1979

In the paper it is proposed to use Ge(Li) detectors in determining fast neutron spectra. The spectrum at 691.4 KeV which is produced by the internal conversion of Ge nuclei being broadened by the coincident ionization energy deposited by recoil Ge atoms is proposed to be analysed in estimating the fast neutron spectra.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.408-422
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• 1999

To reduce the fast neutron fluence which deteriorates the RPV integrity, additional shields were assumed to be installed at the outer core structures of the Kori Unit 1 reactor, and its reduction effects were examined. Full scope Monte Carlo simulation with MCNP4A code was made to estimate the fast neutron fluence at the RPV. An optimized design option was found from various choices in geometry and material for shield structure. It was expected that magnitude of fast neutron fluence would be reduced by 39% at the circumferential weld of the RPV, resulting in extension of plant lifetime by 4.6 EFPYs based on the criterion of PTS requirement It was investigated that the nuclear characteristics and thermal hydraulic factors at the internal core were only negligibly influenced by the installation of additional shield structure.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.143-154
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• 1999

Panasonic UD-809P type albedo neutron TL dosimeters mounted on a water phantom were used to measure neutron personal dose equivalent in a Korean nuclear power plant. From the measured TL readings, personal dose equivalents from thermal, epithermal and fast neutrons were evaluated by using a method adopted in a neutron dose calculation algorithm for Panasonic UD-809P type albedo neutron TL dosimeters, which was suggested in a Panasonic TLD System User's Manual. The results showed that personal dose equivalent from fast neutrons could not be adequately evaluated in a field with high thermal neutron fraction to be encountered in a nuclear power plant. This seems to be related to the incomplete incidence of albedo thermal neutrons to the TL dosimeters. In order to evaluate appropriately the personal dose equivalent from fast neutrons in the field condition, new method fer the neutron dose calculation algorithm was suggested. In this new method, neutrons are grouped into thermal neutrons and fast neutrons. For each neutron component, equations for TL response, sensitivity factor, calibration factor and personal dose equivalent were derived.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.52 no.3
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• pp.647-653
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• 2020

Stainless steel is used commonly in nuclear applications for shielding radiation, so in this study, three different types of new stainless steel samples were designed and developed. New stainless steel compound ratios were determined by using Monte Carlo Simulation program Geant 4 code. In the sample production, iron (Fe), nickel (Ni), chromium (Cr), silicium (Si), sulphur (S), carbon (C), molybdenum (Mo), manganese (Mn), wolfram (W), rhenium (Re), titanium (Ti) and vanadium (V), powder materials were used with powder metallurgy method. Total macroscopic cross sections, mean free path and transmission number were calculated for the fast neutron radiation shielding by using (Geant 4) code. In addition to neutron shielding, the gamma absorption parameters such as mass attenuation coefficients (MACs) and half value layer (HVL) were calculated using Win-XCOM software. Sulfuric acid abrasion and compressive strength tests were carried out and all samples showed good resistance to acid wear and pressure force. The neutron equivalent dose was measured using an average 4.5 MeV energy fast neutron source. Results were compared to 316LN type stainless steel, which commonly used in shielding radiation. New stainless steel samples were found to absorb neutron better than 316LN stainless steel at both low and high temperatures.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.20-28
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• 2018

Background: Heat energy produced in nuclear reactors and nuclear fuel cycle facilities interactions modifies the physical properties of the shielding materials containing water content. Therefore, in the present paper, effect of the heat on shielding effectiveness of the concretes is investigated for gamma and neutron. The mass attenuation coefficients, effective atomic numbers, fast neutron removal cross-section and exposure buildup factors. Materials and Methods: The mass attenuation coefficients, effective atomic numbers, fast neutron removal cross-section and exposure buildup factors of ordinary and heavy concretes were investigated using NIST data of XCOM program and Geometric Progression method. Results and Discussion: The improvement in shielding effectiveness for photon and reduction in fast neutron for ordinary concrete was observed. The change in the neutron shielding effectiveness was insignificant. Conclusion: The present investigation on interaction of gamma and neutron radiation would be very useful for assessment of shielding efficiency of the concrete used in high temperature applications such as reactors.

• 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.