KR20100030342A - Sensor apparatus for measuring thermal and fast neutrons, system including the same and method for measuring thermal and fast neutrons using these - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A sensor apparatus for measuring neutrons, a system including the same and a method for measuring the neutrons using the same are provided to simultaneously measure thermal and fast neutrons using a thermal and a fast neutron measuring sensor including a layer of neutron conversion material. CONSTITUTION: A first sensor unit(110) measures the dose of fast neutron. A second sensor unit(120) measures the dose of thermal and fast neutrons. A neutron conversion unit(130) surrounds the second sensor unit and generates ions which causes electrical signal to the second sensor unit. The first sensor unit and the second sensor unit include a semiconductor. The neutron conversion unit is a layer of neutron conversion material.

Description

Sensor Apparatus for Measuring Thermal and Fast Neutrons, System including The Same and Method for Measuring Thermal and Fast Neutrons Using These}

The present invention relates to a neutron measurement sensor, apparatus and method, and more particularly, to a sensor device, a system capable of simultaneously measuring the neutron dose for each energy region of the low-speed and high-speed neutrons, and a low-speed and high-speed neutron measurement method using them.

Nuclear energy can be utilized in real life by controlling a large amount of energy released instantaneously during nuclear explosion to be released as desired. In nuclear power generation, heat energy is used as power.

The nuclear reactor used in nuclear power generation is a device that controls the chain reaction so that a large amount of mass defect energy released as a result of the chain fission reaction is used as a power to use the heat energy generated from the nuclear fission.

The difference is that ordinary coal-fired furnaces use the heat of combustion of materials, while nuclear reactors use the mass-depleted energy that results from fission reactions. That is, unlike a thermal furnace in which combustion is automatically expanded by combustion heat, nuclear reactors continue nuclear fission through neutrons released during nuclear fission of fuel.

Therefore, the reactor controls the combustion of the fuel by controlling the number of neutrons absorbed by the fuel.

When measuring neutrons in a reactor core, neutron doses were measured using a neutron radiation method or a fission box using fission. However, this method of measuring the neutron dose has not only the problem of increasing the size of the measuring device but also technical limitations in not being able to measure energy.

In other words, the self-powered neutron detector (SPND) neutron radiation method, which is most commonly used for neutron measurements in the reactor core, is a method of collecting electrons from beta-ray collapse after internal radiation by neutrons. Because of its use, there is a fundamental limit to the fact that there is a decay half-life, which makes it impossible to make real-time measurements.

As a method for overcoming this, there is a fission box method using nuclear fission by neutrons. This method is to measure the amount of ionization by nuclear fission fragments released by interacting with neutrons by applying fissile materials of 235U, 238U and 232Th to the detector electrode walls. However, due to the large size of the equipment to be used for this method, there is a limitation that it cannot be miniaturized and mounted in the reactor core.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a low-speed and high-speed neutron measurement sensor device for simultaneously measuring a low-speed neutron and a high-speed neutron, including a high-speed neutron measuring sensor and a low-speed and high-speed neutron measuring sensor formed of a film of neutron conversion material, and a system comprising the same; It is to provide a low-speed and high-speed neutron measurement method using these.

In addition, an object of the present invention is to provide a low-speed and high-speed neutron measuring sensor device having a high-speed signal processing characteristics using a small neutron measuring sensor using a carbide and nitride-based broadband semiconductor that can be used at high temperatures, a system including the same and a system using the same It is to provide a low speed and high speed neutron measurement method.

In addition, another object of the present invention is to measure the dose and energy of the neutron by a small neutron measuring sensor using a carbide and nitride-based broadband semiconductor, it is possible to reduce the size of the neutron measuring sensor and the size of the entire system The present invention provides a low and high speed neutron measuring sensor device, a system including the same, and a low and high speed neutron measuring method using the same.

It is still another object of the present invention to reduce power consumption by using a non-powered or low power operated neutron measuring sensor that operates without an external voltage by forming an internal potential through a semiconductor and a metal junction or a semiconductor np junction. A neutron measuring sensor device, a system including the same, and a low and high speed neutron measuring method using the same.

The low speed and high speed neutron measurement sensor device according to the present invention includes a first sensor part for measuring a high speed neutron dose, a second sensor part for measuring a low speed and high speed neutron dose, and a second sensor part surrounding the second sensor part and reacting with the low speed neutron for a second time. Including a neutron conversion unit for generating ions that cause an electrical signal in the sensor unit, characterized in that the neutron dose for each energy region from the first sensor unit and the second sensor unit is measured at the same time.

Preferably, the neutron converting portion of the low and high speed neutron measuring sensor device according to the present invention is a film made of a neutron converting material, and the neutron converting material is at least any one of boron (B), lithium (Li) or gadolonium (Gd). It includes one.

Preferably, the first sensor unit and the second sensor unit is made of at least one of a carbide or nitride-based broadband semiconductor.

The low-speed and high-speed neutron measurement sensor according to the present invention further includes a low-speed neutron extraction unit for extracting the low-speed neutron signal by the difference between the low-speed and high-speed neutron signal obtained from the second neutron sensor unit and the high-speed neutron signal obtained from the first neutron sensor unit. can do.

In addition, the low-speed and high-speed neutron measuring system according to the present invention is a low-speed and high-speed neutron measurement sensor device, a signal processing device for processing the neutron signal measured from the sensor device and the neutron signal passed through the signal processing device to display the number The low speed and high speed neutron measurement sensor device includes a first sensor unit for measuring a high speed neutron dose, a second sensor unit for measuring a low speed and high speed neutron dose, and surrounds the second sensor unit. A slow neutron extracting a slow neutron signal based on a difference between a neutron switcher for generating ions causing an electrical signal in response to a neutron and a signal obtained from the first sensor unit and the second sensor unit. Including the extraction unit, simultaneous neutron dose for each energy region from the first sensor unit and the second sensor unit It is measured.

Preferably, the neutron converting portion of the low and high speed neutron measuring system according to the present invention is a film made of a neutron converting material, the neutron converting material includes at least one of boron, lithium or gadolonium.

Preferably, the first sensor unit and the second sensor unit of the low-speed and high-speed neutron measuring system according to the present invention may be made of at least one of a carbide or nitride-based broadband semiconductor.

The signal processor of the low speed and high speed neutron measurement system according to the present invention may include a small signal amplifier for amplifying neutron signals from the first and second sensor units.

Preferably, the low speed and high speed neutron measuring system according to the present invention may further include an auxiliary power supply, wherein the auxiliary power supply is connected to the first and second sensor units and the neutrons in the first and second sensor units. Supply additional power to facilitate the measurement of dose.

In addition, the low-speed and high-speed neutron measurement method according to the invention extracts the high-speed neutron signal by measuring the high-speed neutron in the first sensor unit, and at the same time extracts the low-speed and high-speed neutron signal by measuring the low-speed and high-speed neutron in the second sensor unit Extracting a low speed neutron signal based on a difference between the measured low speed and high speed neutron signals and the measured high speed neutron signal, amplifying the high speed neutron signal and the low speed neutron signal, and the amplified fast neutron signal. And digitizing and displaying the signal and the slow neutron signal, wherein the first sensor unit and the second sensor unit are formed of at least one of a carbide or a nitride-based broadband semiconductor.

Preferably, in the low speed and high speed neutron measurement method according to the present invention, the high speed neutron measurement is made by the high speed neutron reacting with the semiconductor to generate an electrical signal indicating the number and energy of the fast neutrons, the low speed neutron measurement The slow neutron may be generated by reacting with a neutron converting material formed around the second sensor unit to generate ions, and the ions react with the semiconductor to generate an electrical signal representing the number and energy of the slow neutron.

According to the present invention, a low speed and high speed neutron measurement sensor device, a system including the same, and a low speed and high speed neutron measurement method using the same include: a low speed neutron and a low speed neutron and It is effective to measure high speed neutrons at the same time.

In addition, according to the low-speed and high-speed neutron measuring sensor device according to the present invention, a system including the same, and a low-speed and high-speed neutron measuring method using the same, a small neutron measuring sensor using a carbide and nitride-based broadband semiconductor that can be used at high temperatures Since it has an effect that has a high-speed signal processing characteristics.

In addition, according to the low-speed and high-speed neutron measuring sensor device according to the present invention, a system including the same, and a low-speed and high-speed neutron measuring method using the same, the dose and energy of the neutron by a small neutron measuring sensor using a carbide and nitride-based broadband semiconductor Since it is measured, there is an effect that can be miniaturized the size of the neutron measuring sensor and the entire system including the same.

Further, according to the low-speed and high-speed neutron measuring sensor device according to the present invention, a system including the same, and a low-speed and high-speed neutron measuring method using the same, applying an external voltage by forming an internal potential through a semiconductor junction with a metal junction or a semiconductor np junction Since it uses no-power or low-power neutron measurement sensor that operates without, there is no power consumption or can reduce it.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, but the present invention is not limited or limited by the embodiments. For reference, in the present description, the same numbers refer to substantially the same elements, and may be described by quoting the contents described in other drawings under the above rules, and the contents repeated or deemed apparent to those skilled in the art may be omitted.

1 is a configuration diagram of a low speed and high speed neutron measurement system 10 according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of a low speed and high speed neutron measurement sensor device 100 according to the present invention. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating a neutron measurement principle of the second sensor 120 included in the low speed and high speed neutron measurement sensor device 100 of the present invention.

Low and high speed neutron measurement system 10 according to the present invention is a neutron measurement sensor device 100, the neutron signal measured by the sensor device 100 to measure the dose of the low-speed neutron (fast thermal neutron) and fast neutron (fast neutron) And a display device 300 for counting and displaying the measured neutrons based on the neutron signals passed through the signal processing device 200.

In addition, the low-speed and high-speed neutron measurement system 10 according to the present invention is connected to the sensor device 100, the auxiliary power supply 400 for supplying additional power to the sensor device 100 to facilitate the measurement of neutron dose. It may further include.

The low-speed and high-speed neutron measurement sensor device 100 includes a first sensor 110 that is a first sensor unit, a second sensor 120 that is a second sensor unit, a neutron conversion layer 130 that is a neutron switching unit, and a low-speed neutron extraction unit 140. Including, it measures the low-speed neutron dose and high-speed neutron dose at the same time.

The first sensor 110 and the second sensor 120 are composed of a carbide or nitride-based broadband semiconductor that can be used at high temperatures. For example, the first sensor 110 and the second sensor 120 may be formed of a silicon carbide (SiC) semiconductor or a gallium nitride (GaN) semiconductor. In the present embodiment, the first sensor 110 and the second sensor 120 will be described as an example of silicon carbide semiconductor.

Unlike the first sensor 110, the second sensor 120 has a neutron switching layer 130 formed as a neutron switching unit around the second sensor 120. The neutron converting film 130 is a film made of a neutron converting material, and the neutron converting material includes at least one of boron (B), lithium (Li), or gadolonium (Gd).

The neutron converting material of the neutron converting film 130 reacts only with the slow neutrons and does not react with the fast neutrons. The neutron converting material reacts with the slow neutron incident on the neutron converting film 130 to generate ions that cause an electrical signal to the second sensor 120.

Since the first sensor 110 and the second sensor 120 of the present invention are made of silicon carbide semiconductor, when the high speed neutron is shot by the first sensor 110 or the second sensor 120, the high speed neutron and silicon (Si) This reaction occurs, and at this time, an electrical signal is generated due to the characteristics of the semiconductor. The electrical signal is proportional in magnitude depending on the dose of a fast neutron incident. Based on this, the dose of the fast neutrons incident on the first sensor 110 and the second sensor 120 can be measured.

However, as described above, since the first sensor 110 does not react to the low speed neutron, the first sensor 110 measures only the high speed neutron dose.

Measurement of the low-speed neutron dose is made in the second sensor 120, which will be described with reference to FIG.

Among the low speed neutrons and the high speed neutrons incident to the second sensor 120, the high speed neutrons do not react with the neutron conversion film 130 and enter the second sensor 120 as they are, thereby generating an electrical signal according to the high speed neutron dose.

The low-speed neutron incident on the second sensor 120 passes through the neutron conversion film 130, at which time boron or lithium contained in the neutron conversion film 130 reacts with the low-speed neutron. Specifically, boron ( ¹⁰ B) is split into lithium ( ⁷ Li) ions and helium ( ⁴ He) ions while emitting energy by reacting with a slow neutron. The lithium ion thus produced has an energy of 1.015 MeV or 0.840 MeV, and the helium ion has an energy of 1.777 MeV or 1.470 MeV. In addition, a lithium (Li ⁶⁾ included in the neutron conversion layer 130 is, while dissipating energy in response to the low speed neutron split into hydrogen ⁽³ H) ion and a helium (He ⁴⁾ ion. The generated hydrogen ions have an energy of 2.73 MeV and helium ions have an energy of 2.05 MeV.

When the slow neutron passes through the neutron conversion layer 130, the generated ions are incident on the second sensor 120 to generate an electrical signal. This electrical signal is proportional in magnitude to the dose of the slow neutron incident.

The low speed neutron extractor 140 calculates a neutron signal, which is an electrical signal measured by the first sensor 110 and the second sensor 120, to distinguish between a signal by the low speed neutron and a signal by the high speed neutron.

Since the neutron signal generated by the low speed neutron and the neutron signal generated by the high speed neutron are combined with each other in the neutron signal which is an electrical signal according to the dose of the low speed neutron and the high speed neutron obtained by the second sensor 120, the second sensor 120 The neutron signal measured by is not able to extract the signal by the slow neutron separately.

Therefore, the low speed neutron extractor 140 reconstructs the low speed and high speed neutron signals measured by the second sensor 120 and the high speed neutron signals measured by the first sensor 110 to extract only the low speed neutron signals. In detail, the difference between the low speed and high speed neutron signals measured by the second sensor 120 and the high speed neutron signal measured by the first sensor 110 becomes the low speed neutron signal.

The signal processing device 200 is connected to the sensor device 100 and amplifies the low speed neutron signal and the high speed neutron signal measured by the sensor device 100. Since the low speed neutron signal and the fast neutron signal measured by the sensor device 100 are very small small signals of milliampere (mA), it is necessary to amplify them.

4 is a block diagram of a signal processor 200 according to the present invention. Referring to FIG. 4, the signal processing apparatus 200 includes a first small signal amplifier 210 and a second small signal amplifier 220.

The first small signal amplifier 210 receives the high speed neutron signal and amplifies it through the small signal amplifier circuit. The second small signal amplifier 220 receives the low speed neutron signal and amplifies it through the small signal amplifier circuit. The small signal amplifier circuits of the first small signal amplifier 210 and the second small signal amplifier 220 may be identical to each other.

The display device 300 of the present invention is connected to the signal processing device 200 and receives the low speed neutron signal and the high speed neutron signal amplified by the signal processing device 200 to display the number or energy of the low speed neutron and the high speed neutron.

The low speed neutron signal or the high speed neutron signal that enters the display device 300 may be displayed by being quantified using a spectrum or a counter. That is, the display device 300 may display the neutron dose for each energy region of the low speed neutron or the high speed neutron.

As shown in FIG. 1, the auxiliary power supply 400 is connected to the sensor device 100, and is specifically connected to the first sensor 110 and the second sensor 120.

Since the electrical signals of the low speed or high speed neutrons measured by the first sensor 110 and the second sensor 120 are very weak, the auxiliary power supply 400 may use the neutron as the first sensor 110 and the second sensor 120. Supply additional power to facilitate the measurement of dose. The auxiliary power supply 400 may be configured of a battery.

Hereinafter, a low speed and high speed neutron measurement method using a low speed and high speed neutron measurement sensor device and a system including the same will be described in detail.

5 is a block diagram illustrating a low and high speed neutron measuring method according to the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 5, in order to measure the low speed neutron and the high speed neutron, the high speed neutron signal and the low speed and high speed neutron signal are respectively extracted by the low speed and high speed neutron measurement sensor device 100. That is, the high speed neutron signal is extracted from the first sensor 110 and the low speed and high speed neutron signals are extracted from the second sensor 120 (S410).

Subsequently, the low speed neutron extracting unit 140 extracts only the low speed neutron signal. That is, only the slow neutron signal is extracted using the difference between the low and high speed neutron signals measured by the second sensor 120 and the high speed neutron signal measured by the first sensor 110 (S420).

Since the extracted fast neutron signal and the low speed neutron signal are very small small signals, the fast neutron signal and the slow neutron signal are amplified using the small signal amplifying circuit of the signal processing apparatus 200 (S430).

The amplified low-speed neutron signal and the high-speed neutron signal are counted on the display device 300 and displayed (S440).

6 is a graph of measuring high-speed neutrons using the low-speed and high-speed neutron measurement sensor device 100 according to the present invention.

The vertical axis of FIG. 6 displays the measured high-speed neutron signals in numbers, and the horizontal axis represents voltage.

As shown in Figure 6, it can be seen that the noise is very small compared to the measured high-speed neutron signal. That is, the high-speed neutron signal measured by the neutron measurement sensor device 100 according to the present invention can be seen that the measurement value is sufficiently reliable because it is not greatly affected by noise.

Low and high speed neutron measurement sensor device 100, the system 10 including the same and the low and high speed neutron measurement method using the same is the limit of time delay and nuclear fission system by the radiation method used in the conventional reactor It is possible to overcome the difficulty of miniaturization.

The low speed and high speed neutron measuring sensors, systems and methods of the present invention can be widely used in nuclear reactors, neutron generators, fusion reactors, security screening devices using neutrons, and the like.

As described above, although described with reference to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, those skilled in the art various modifications and variations of the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention described in the claims below I can understand that you can.

Included in this specification.

1 is a block diagram of a low speed and high speed neutron measuring system according to the present invention;

2 is a block diagram of a low speed and high speed neutron measurement sensor device according to the present invention;

3 is a neutron measurement principle diagram of a second sensor included in the low speed and high speed neutron measurement sensor device according to the present invention;

4 is a block diagram of a signal processor included in a low speed and high speed neutron measurement system according to the present invention;

5 is a block diagram illustrating a low and high speed neutron measurement method according to the present invention;

6 is a graph of measuring high-speed neutrons using a low-speed and high-speed neutron measuring sensor according to the present invention.

<Explanation of symbols for the main parts of the drawings>

10: low speed and high speed neutron measuring system

100: low speed and high speed neutron measurement sensor device

110: first sensor 120: second sensor

130: neutron conversion film 140: low-speed neutron extraction unit

200: signal processing apparatus 210: first small signal amplifier

220: second small signal amplifier 300: display device

400: auxiliary power supply

Claims (12)

A first sensor unit measuring a fast neutron dose; A second sensor unit measuring low and high speed neutron doses; And A neutron conversion unit surrounding the second sensor unit, the neutron switching unit generating ions that react with a low speed neutron to cause an electrical signal to the second sensor unit; Including, The first sensor unit and the second sensor unit is provided with a semiconductor, the low-speed and high-speed neutron measurement sensor device, characterized in that the neutron dose for each energy region is simultaneously measured from the first sensor unit and the second sensor unit. The method of claim 1, The low and high speed neutron measurement sensor device, characterized in that the neutron conversion unit is a film made of a neutron conversion material. The method of claim 2, The neutron conversion material is a low-speed and high-speed neutron measurement sensor device, characterized in that containing at least one of boron (B), lithium (Li) or gadolonium (Gd). The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, The low speed and high speed neutron measurement sensor device, characterized in that the first sensor unit and the second sensor unit is at least one of a carbide or nitride-based broadband semiconductor. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, A low speed and high speed neutron measurement sensor further comprising a low speed neutron extracting unit for extracting a low speed neutron signal by a difference between the low speed and high speed neutron signals obtained by the second sensor unit and the high speed neutron signal obtained by the first sensor unit. Device. In the neutron measuring system for measuring the dose of neutrons, Low and high speed neutron measurement sensor device; A signal processing device for processing the neutron signal measured from the sensor device; And A display device for counting and displaying the measured neutrons based on the neutron signals passing through the signal processing device; Including, The low speed and high speed neutron measurement sensor device, A first sensor unit measuring a fast neutron dose; A second sensor unit measuring low and high speed neutron doses; A neutron conversion unit surrounding the second sensor unit, the neutron switching unit generating ions that react with the low speed neutron to generate an electrical signal in the second sensor unit; And A slow neutron extraction unit for extracting a low speed neutron signal by a difference between the low speed and high speed neutron signals obtained by the second sensor unit and the high speed neutron signal obtained by the first sensor unit; Including; The first sensor unit and the second sensor unit has a semiconductor, and the neutron dose for each energy region from the first sensor unit and the second sensor unit is simultaneously measured, characterized in that the low and high speed neutron measurement. The method of claim 6, The neutron conversion unit is a film made of a neutron conversion material, the neutron conversion material is a low and high speed neutron measurement system, characterized in that it comprises at least one of boron or lithium. The method according to claim 6 or 7, The first sensor unit and the second sensor unit is a low-speed and high-speed neutron measuring system, characterized in that made of at least one of the carbide or nitride-based broadband semiconductor. The method according to claim 6 or 7, The signal processing unit comprises a small signal amplifier for amplifying the neutron signals from the first and second sensor unit, characterized in that the low and high speed neutron measuring system. The method according to claim 6 or 7, Further comprising an auxiliary power supply, The auxiliary power supply device is connected to the first and second sensor unit, the low and high speed neutron measurement system, characterized in that for supplying additional power to facilitate the measurement of neutron dose in the first and second sensor unit. In the neutron measuring method for measuring the neutron dose, Measuring the high speed neutrons in the first sensor unit to extract the high speed neutron signals, and simultaneously extracting the low speed and the high speed neutron signals by measuring the low speed and the high speed neutrons in the second sensor unit; Extracting a low speed neutron signal based on a difference between the measured low speed and high speed neutron signals and the measured high speed neutron signals; Amplifying the fast neutron signal and the slow neutron signal; And Counting and displaying the amplified fast neutron signal and the slow neutron signal; Including, The first sensor unit and the second sensor unit is a low-speed and high-speed neutron measuring method, characterized in that made of at least one of a carbide or nitride-based broadband semiconductor. The method of claim 11, The fast neutron measurement is made by the fast neutron reacting with the semiconductor to generate an electrical signal, The low-speed neutron measurement is a low-speed and high-speed neutron is characterized in that the low-speed neutron reacts with the neutron conversion material formed around the second sensor unit to generate ions, the ion reacts with the semiconductor to generate an electrical signal How to measure.

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