• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제55권9호
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• pp.3133-3139
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• 2023

Neutron imaging technology as a means of non-destructive detection of materials is complementary to X-ray imaging. Silicon photomultiplier (SiPM), a new type of optical readout device, has overcome some shortcomings of traditional photomultiplier tube (PMT), such as high-power consumption, large volume, high price, uneven gain response, and inability to work in strong magnetic fields. Its application in the field of neutron detection will be an irresistible general trend. In this paper, a thermal neutron imaging detector based on ⁶LiF/ZnS scintillation screen and SiPM array readout was developed. The design of the detector geometry was optimized by geant4 Monte Carlo simulation software. The optimized detector was evaluated with a step wedge sample. The results show that the detector prototype with a 48 mm × 48 mm sensitive area can achieve about 38% detection efficiency and 0.26 mm position resolution when using a 300 ㎛ thick ⁶LiF/ZnS scintillation screen and a 2 mm thick Bk7 optical guide coupled with SiPM array, and has good neutron imaging capability. It provides effective data support for developing high-performance imaging detectors applied to the China Spallation Neutron Source (CSNS).

• 대한기계학회:학술대회논문집
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• 대한기계학회 2007년도 춘계학술대회B
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• pp.3418-3422
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• 2007

The neutron imaging technique was used to investigate the water discharge characteristics at PEMFC. Prior to investigation of water discharge characteristics, the linear attenuation coefficient for water at Neutron Radiography Facility (NRF) was calibrated. The feasibility test apparatus was consisted of pressurized air and water in order to simulate the actual operating PEMFC. The feasibility tests have been performed at 1-parallel serpentine type with 100 $cm^2$ active area and different air flow rate (1, 2, and 4 lpm). The total water volume variations at each condition were calculated from the neutron images. The water at channel is well discharged as soon as supplying the pressurized air into the PEMFC. However, because the water at MEA isn't removed the total water volume is constant after 150. Therefore more effective method is needed in order to discharge water at MEA, and the neutron imaging technique is helpful for it.

• 한국가시화정보학회지
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• 제14권3호
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• pp.15-21
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• 2016

The circular and flat heat pipe were experimentally investigated by using neutron imaging technique. This experimental study was performed at the DINGO of OPAL research reactor, Australia. The diameter of the circular heat pipe is 10 mm and the dimension of flat is $10(width){\times}3(thickness)mm2$, respectively. We used the distilled water as a coolant. The coolant distributions and 2-phase flow patterns were measured under heating conditions. Experimental results show that neutron imaging technique is a good tool to visualize the 2-phase flow and phenomena in the heat pipe. The coolant distributions and 2-phase flow patterns depend on installation posture of the heat pipe and volume ratio of the coolant. Finally, it was discussed to calculate the void fraction by neutron imaging technique.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제53권5호
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• pp.1619-1625
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• 2021

This paper demonstrates the possible nondestructive analysis of iron artifacts' metallurgical characteristics using neutron imaging. Ancient kingdoms of the Korean Peninsula used a direct smelting process for ore smelting and iron bloom production; however, the use of iron blooms was difficult because of their low strength and purity. For reinforcement, iron ingots were produced through refining and forge welding, which then underwent various processes to create different iron goods. To demonstrate the potential analysis using neutron imaging, while ensuring artifacts' safety, a sand iron ingot (SI-I) produced using ancient traditional iron making techniques and a sand iron knife (SI-K) made of SI-I were selected. SI-I was cut into 9 cm², whereas the entirety of SI-K was preserved for analysis. SI-I was found to have an average grain size of 3 ㎛, with observed α-Fe (ferrite) and pearlite with a body-centered cubic (BCC) lattice structure. SI-K had a grain size of 1-3 ㎛, α-Ferrite on its backside, and martensite with a body-centered tetragonal (BCT) structure on its blade. Results show that the sample's metallurgical characteristics can be identified through neutron imaging only, without losing any part of the valuable artifacts, indicating applicability to cultural artifacts requiring complete preservation.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제38권5호
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• pp.449-454
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• 2006

Neutron imaging technique was used to investigate the water distribution and movement in Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC) at HANARO, KAERI. The Feasibility tests were performed in the first and second exposure rooms at the neutron radiography facility (NRF) at HANARO in order to check the ability of each exposure room, respectively. The feasibility test apparatus was composed of water and pressurized air before making up the actual test apparatus. Due to the low neutron intensity in the second exposure room, the exposure time was too long to investigate the transient phenomena of PEMFC. Although the exposure time was improved to 0.1 sec in the first exposure room, it was difficult to discriminate detail water movement at the channel due to the high noise level. Therefore, the experimental setup must be optimized according to the test conditions. Water discharge characteristics were investigated under different flow field geometries by using feasibility test apparatus and the neutron imaging technique. The water discharge characteristics of a 3-parallel serpentine are superior to those of a 1-parallel serpentine, but water at Membrane Electrode Assembly (MEA) was not removed, regardless of the flow field type.

• 보존과학회지
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• 제35권6호
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• pp.631-640
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• 2019

본 연구는 전통제철법인 정련 및 단접을 적용한 사철강괴(SI)의 미세조직을 파괴분석법인 현미경분석과 비파괴분석법인 중성자 영상 분석을 통해 분석결과를 비교하였다. 시료는 전통제철법으로 생산한 사철강괴이며, 파괴분석용의 SI-A와 비파괴분석용의 9 ㎠의 SI-B를 제작하였다. 파괴분석으로 금속현미경과 주사전자현미경이 이용되었으며, 비파괴분석으로 일본 훗카이도 대학의 소형 중성자원 이용시설을 통한 중성자 영상 분석을 이용하였다. 파괴분석결과 미세한 ferrite 및 pearlite가, 시료의 가장자리에서 Widmanstätten ferrite와 조대한 ferrite가 관찰되었다. 또한 비파괴분석법인 중성자 영상 분석 결과 체심입방격자 구조의 grain size가 3 ㎛ 정도의 α-Fe인 ferrite와 층상의 pearlite가 관찰되었다. 이렇듯 중성자 영상 분석을 이용하면 비파괴로 연구대상의 재료과학적 특성을 확인할 수 있고 문화재에 적용 시 최적의 연구결과를 얻을 수 있음을 확인하였다.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제56권7호
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• pp.2799-2805
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• 2024

Energy-resolved neutron imaging is an effective way to investigate the internal structure and residual stress of materials. Different sample sizes have varying requirements for the detector's imaging field of view (FOV) and spatial resolution. Therefore, a dual-mode energy-resolved neutron imaging detector was developed, which mainly consisted of a neutron scintillator screen, a mirror, imaging lenses, and a time-stamping optical fast camera. This detector could operate in a large FOV mode or a high spatial resolution mode. To evaluate the performance of the detector, the neutron wavelength spectra and the multiple spatial resolution tests were conducted at CSNS. The results demonstrated that the detector accurately measured the neutron wavelength spectra selected by a bandwidth chopper. The best spatial resolution was about 20 ㎛ in high spatial resolution mode after event reconstruction, and a FOV of 45.0 mm × 45.0 mm was obtained in large FOV mode. The feasibility was validated to change the spatial resolution and FOV by replacing the scintillator screen and adjusting the lens magnification.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제56권2호
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• pp.715-727
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• 2024

During fast neutron imaging, besides the dark current noise and readout noise of the CCD camera, the main noise in fast neutron imaging comes from high-energy gamma rays generated by neutron nuclear reactions in and around the experimental setup. These high-energy gamma rays result in the presence of high-density gamma white spots (GWS) in the fast neutron image. Due to the microscopic quantum characteristics of the neutron beam itself and environmental scattering effects, fast neutron images typically exhibit a mixture of Gaussian noise. Existing denoising methods in neutron images are difficult to handle when dealing with a mixture of GWS and Gaussian noise. Herein we put forward a deep learning approach based on the Swin Transformer UNet (SUNet) model to remove high-density GWS-Gaussian mixture noise from fast neutron images. The improved denoising model utilizes a customized loss function for training, which combines perceptual loss and mean squared error loss to avoid grid-like artifacts caused by using a single perceptual loss. To address the high cost of acquiring real fast neutron images, this study introduces Monte Carlo method to simulate noise data with GWS characteristics by computing the interaction between gamma rays and sensors based on the principle of GWS generation. Ultimately, the experimental scenarios involving simulated neutron noise images and real fast neutron images demonstrate that the proposed method not only improves the quality and signal-to-noise ratio of fast neutron images but also preserves the details of the original images during denoising.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제41권1호
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• pp.135-142
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• 2009

In this investigation, we prepared a 1 and 3-parallel serpentine single PEMFC, which has an active area of $100\;cm^2$ and a flow channel cross section of $1{\times}1mm$. Distribution and transport of water in a non-operating PEMFC were observed by varying flow types and the flow rates (250, 400, and 850 cc/min). This investigation was performed at the neutron imaging facility at the CO1d Neutron RAdiography facility (CONRAD), HMI, Germany of which the collimation ratio and neutron fluence rate are 250, $1{\times}10^{6}n/s/cm^2$, respectively. The neutron image was continuously recorded by a scintillator and lens-CCD coupled detector system every 10 seconds. It has been observed that although the distilled water was supplied into the cathode channel only, the neutron image showed a water movement from the cathode to the anode channel. The water at the cathode channel was completely discharged as soon as the pressurized air was supplied. But the water at the anode channel was not easily removed by the pressurized air except for the 3-parallel serpentine type with 850cc/min of air flow rate. Moreover, the water at the MEA wasn't removed for any of the cases.

• 대한방사선기술학회지:방사선기술과학
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• 제38권1호
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• pp.39-49
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• 2015

격자 간섭계(grating interferometer)는 방사선 영상분야의 새로운 기술로서, 흡수 영상(absorption imaging)뿐만 아니라 위상차 영상(phase contrast imaging)과 다크필드 영상(dark field imaging)을 제공한다. 격자 간섭계는 크게 탈봇 효과(talbot effect)를 이용하는 탈봇 간섭계와 탈봇-라우 효과(talbot-lau effect)를 이용하는 탈봇-라우 간섭계로 나뉘는데, 일반적인 방사선 영상시스템과 달리 방사선의 간섭을 예측하고 적용하는 것이 중요하다. 본 연구에서는 현재 부산대학교 중성자 및 방사선 공학 연구실에서 보유하고 있는 엑스선 격자 세트와 중성자 격자 세트를 이용하여 탈봇 간섭 패턴 및 탈봇-라우 간섭 패턴을 제작하였다. 이를 통해 방사선의 파동 거동에 따른 간섭 세기의 변화를 예측하고, 격자 간섭계를 구성하는 각 요소들을 계산했다. 그리고 격자의 종류 및 위상차 물체에 대한 탈봇 간섭 패턴 및 탈봇-라우 간섭 패턴을 예측하였다.