Study on the Convective Heat Transfer and Fluid Flow of Mini-Channel with High Aspect Ratio of Neutron Production Target

In order to provide a theoretical basis for the thermal design of the neutron production target, flow and heat transfer characteristics are studied by using numerical simulations and experiments. A rectangular mini-channel experimental model consistent with the geometric shape of the heat dissipation structure of neutron production target was established, in which the aspect ratio and gap thickness of the test channel were 53.8:1 and 1.3 mm, respectively. The experimental results indicate that the critical Re of the mini-channel is between 3500 and 4000, and when Re reaches 21,000, Nu can reach 160. The simulation results are in good agreement with the experimental data, and the numerical simulation method can be used for the variable structure optimization design of the target in the later stage. The relationship between the flow pressure drop of the target mini-channel and the aspect ratio and Re is obtained by numerical simulation. The maximum deviation between the correlation and the experimental value is 6%.

Neutron Kinetics and Reactor Control

A nuclear reactor is designed to achieve the very delicate balance between neutron “production” (release) in fission reactions and neutron loss by absorption and leakage. A given neutron will be “born” in a fission event and will then usually scatter about the reactor until it meets its eventual “death” either by being absorbed in some material or by leaking out of the reactor. A certain number of these neutrons will be absorbed by fissionable nuclei and induce further fissions, thereby leading to the birth of new fission neutrons, that is, to a new generation of neutrons. The ratio of the number of neutrons born in a fission-neutron generation to the number born in the previous generation is called the effective reactor multiplication factor, keff. The keff characterizes the balance or imbalance in the chain reaction. Alternatively, keff can be defined by the ratio of production rate to loss rate of neutrons in the reactor. These definitions are given below:

Tailoring neutron beam properties by target-moderator-reflector optimisation

Compact accelerator-driven neutron sources allow to operate multiple optimised target-moderator-reflector (TMR) units adapted to the requirements of the respective instruments. The compact design of the TMR units allows an efficient coupling of neutron production, neutron moderation and extraction, but requires a novel way of optimisation. The neutronic performance of different TMR units based on polyethylene, heavy water and a mixture of heavy and light water moderators together with Pb and Be reflectors and a borated polyethylene absorber is discussed. Extraction channels for thermal and cold neutrons are investigated regarding the energy and time spectra.