The second and third generation Light Water Reactors (LWRs) are often equipped with fuel with gadolinium-enriched pins with the aim of extending the in-pile fuel life cycle without introducing any new safety issues at the Beginning Of Life (BOL). Gadolinium odd isotopes cross sections are crucial in assessing the neutron budget which constraints the economic performance and the safety features of a reactor core. This technical report follows the previous one on the justification for a new evaluation of the neutron capture cross-sections of 155Gd and 157Gd using new experimental data from measurements carried out at the European Research Council Center (CERN) in the framework of the n_TOF Collaboration to which ENEA participates as official member. The first part of the report describes the CERN neutron time-of-flight facility n_TOF, its unique features, and the methodologies, including the detection techniques adopted for the measurements of neutron-capture cross sections of Gd odd isotopes. The second part presents the experimental campaign at n_TOF, performed from 16th June to 8th July 2016, which lasted for about 21 days. Acknowledgments to the contribution of the National Institute for Nuclear Physics (INFN), in particular of Dr Cristian Massimi of the Department of Physics of the University of Bologna (spokesperson of the experiment for INFN) ; Dr Mario Mastromarco at the CERN; the other members of the n-ToF ENEA team - Alberto Mengoni, Sergio Lo Meo (spokesperson of the experiment for ENEA), Giulia Clai and Antonio Guglielmelli.

Implementation of a cross section evaluation methodology for safety margins analysis: techniques and experimental campaign for new evaluations of neutron capture cross sections of Gadolinium odd isotopes

Rocchi, Federico;Castelluccio, Donato Maurizio
2017-12-04

Abstract

The second and third generation Light Water Reactors (LWRs) are often equipped with fuel with gadolinium-enriched pins with the aim of extending the in-pile fuel life cycle without introducing any new safety issues at the Beginning Of Life (BOL). Gadolinium odd isotopes cross sections are crucial in assessing the neutron budget which constraints the economic performance and the safety features of a reactor core. This technical report follows the previous one on the justification for a new evaluation of the neutron capture cross-sections of 155Gd and 157Gd using new experimental data from measurements carried out at the European Research Council Center (CERN) in the framework of the n_TOF Collaboration to which ENEA participates as official member. The first part of the report describes the CERN neutron time-of-flight facility n_TOF, its unique features, and the methodologies, including the detection techniques adopted for the measurements of neutron-capture cross sections of Gd odd isotopes. The second part presents the experimental campaign at n_TOF, performed from 16th June to 8th July 2016, which lasted for about 21 days. Acknowledgments to the contribution of the National Institute for Nuclear Physics (INFN), in particular of Dr Cristian Massimi of the Department of Physics of the University of Bologna (spokesperson of the experiment for INFN) ; Dr Mario Mastromarco at the CERN; the other members of the n-ToF ENEA team - Alberto Mengoni, Sergio Lo Meo (spokesperson of the experiment for ENEA), Giulia Clai and Antonio Guglielmelli.
4-dic-2017
Reactor safety;Gadolinium isotopes;Rapporto tecnico;Nuclear data;Experimental Campaign
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12079/8002
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