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Training reactor VR-1 is a low power research reactor with maximal thermal power of 1 kW. The reactor is operated by the Faculty of Nuclear Science and Physical Engineering of the Czech Technical University in Prague. Due to its low power it suits as a tool for education of university students and training of professionals. In 2015, as part of stud...
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... The first step to developing neutron imaging at the training reactor VR-1 was experiments that took place from 2012 to 2016. These experiments were focused on the possibility of using neutron imaging at the VR-1 reactor [15]. It was the development of neutron imaging using photographic film detectors with a converter. ...
The paper describes the construction of the neutron imaging facility at the very low-power research reactor VR-1. The training reactor VR-1 is operated by the Czech Technical University in Prague, Czech Republic. It is mainly used for the education of students in the field of nuclear engineering as well as for the training of professionals. Neutron imaging is the new field of VR-1 reactor utilisation currently under development. Extremely low reactor power at the level of 100 W brought many challenges that were necessary to overcome to build and commission a sustainable neutron radiography facility. The paper describes the reactor’s neutron flux verification and the basic concept and design of the neutron imaging instrumentation. The first experimental results were mainly dedicated to testing the detection system for different radial beam port configurations, different L/D ratios, and different exposure times. Preliminary results of neutron radiography and tomography measurements at VR-1 clearly showed the potential of using neutron imaging in low-power reactors such as the VR-1 reactor.
... Training Reactor in the Czech Republic (Crha, 2016) are other possible future advanced subcritical low-power pool-type research reactor benchmark measurement locations. ...
A new series of subcritical measurements has been conducted at the zero-power Walthousen Reactor Critical Facility (RCF) at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) using a ³He neutron multiplicity detector. The Critical and Subcritical 0-Power Experiment at Rensselaer (CaSPER) campaign establishes a protocol for advanced subcritical neutron multiplication measurements involving research reactors for validation of neutron multiplication inference techniques, Monte Carlo codes, and associated nuclear data. There has been increased attention and expanded efforts related to subcritical measurements and analyses, and this work provides yet another data set at known reactivity states that can be used in the validation of state-of-the-art Monte Carlo computer simulation tools. The diverse (mass, spatial, spectral) subcritical measurement configurations have been analyzed to produce parameters of interest such as singles rates, doubles rates, and leakage multiplication. MCNP®6.2 was used to simulate the experiment and the resulting simulated data has been compared to the measured results. Comparison of the simulated and measured observables (singles rates, doubles rates, and leakage multiplication) show good agreement. This work builds upon the previous years of collaborative subcritical experiments and outlines a protocol for future subcritical neutron multiplication inference and subcriticality monitoring measurements on pool-type reactor systems.
... Due to the low thermal power of the university reactor (maximum of 1 kW) and spatial limitations, a typical camera-detector system for neutron imaging is impossible to employ. Nevertheless, pilot neutron imaging experiments were successfully carried out in 2015 using imaging plates (Crha et al. (2016)). However, the logistics of the mentioned experiments were not optimal as time-consuming operations had to be done with the reactor's radial channel, which is not optimized for similar types of experiments. ...
In the search for a suitable detector for demonstration neutron radiography measurements on the zero-power VR-1 training reactor at the Czech Technical University in Prague, some options were considered. Due to the reactor's low power and spatial limitations, an easy and practical solution had to be found. Self-developing films represent a flexible detection tool in x-ray imaging. Therefore, the goal of this study was to evaluate their potential for neutron detection. For this purpose, bare and converter covered films were studied in the thermal and epithermal neutron beams at the LVR-15 research reactor in Rez, Czech Republic.
The macroscopic data preparation process is the essential part of the safe operation nuclear power station and despite the increasing calculation power this method stays essential in the near future. The data preparation process and mainly the assembly discontinuity factors (ADF) calculation are analysed in the paper. Developed models are connected with the C7 core of the VR-1 research reactor, which is operated by the Czech Technical University in Prague. The fuel models as well as the connection of the fuel and the reflector models are analysed. The multiplication factor and the neutron flux distribution are compared. The fuel ADF usage showed better prediction of the multiplication factor and also the neutron flux distribution. The new external iteration reflector ADF calculation method is developed, implemented and tested in the paper. The most realistic model of C7 core was used as a test case. The best results of the multiplication factor as well as the neutron flux distribution were obtained with the external iteration process ADF calculation. The multiplication factor was calculated with only 452 pcm discrepancy, more than 6600 pcm better result than without ADF and more than 3400 pcm better result than with reflector ADF calculated via SCALE Newt.
