• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.51 no.6
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• pp.1479-1486
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• 2019

The purpose of the present study is to develop the 3D static and noise simulator based on Galerkin Finite Element Method (GFEM) using the unstructured hexahedral elements. The 3D, 2G neutron diffusion and noise equations are discretized using the unstructured hexahedral by considering the linear approximation of the shape function in each element. The validation of the static calculation is performed via comparison between calculated results and reported data for the VVER-1000 benchmark problem. A sensitivity analysis of the calculation to the element type (unstructured hexahedral or tetrahedron elements) is done. Finally, the neutron noise calculation is performed for the neutron noise source of type of variable strength using the Green function technique. It is shown that the error reduction in the static calculation is considerable when the unstructured tetrahedron elements are replaced with the hexahedral ones. Since the neutron flux distribution and neutron multiplication factor are appeared in the neutron noise equation, the more accurate calculation of these parameters leads to obtaining the neutron noise distribution with high accuracy. The investigation of the changes of the neutron noise distribution in axial direction of the reactor core shows that the 3D neutron noise analysis is required instead of 2D.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.56 no.2
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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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• v.49 no.7
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• pp.1369-1378
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• 2017

The present paper reports the development of a computational code based on the Adaptive Group of Ink Drop Spread (AGIDS) for reconstruction of the neutron noise sources in reactor cores. AGIDS algorithm was developed as a fuzzy inference system based on the active learning method. The main idea of the active learning method is to break a multiple input-single output system into a single input-single output system. This leads to the ability to simulate a large system with high accuracy. In the present study, vibrating absorber-type neutron noise source in an International Atomic Energy Agency-two dimensional reactor core is considered in neutron noise calculation. The neutron noise distribution in the detectors was calculated using the Galerkin finite element method. Linear approximation of the shape function in each triangle element was used in the Galerkin finite element method. Both the real and imaginary parts of the calculated neutron distribution of the detectors were considered input data in the developed computational code based on AGIDS. The output of the computational code is the strength, frequency, and position (X and Y coordinates) of the neutron noise sources. The calculated fraction of variance unexplained error for output parameters including strength, frequency, and X and Y coordinates of the considered neutron noise sources were $0.002682{\sharp}/cm^3s$, 0.002682 Hz, and 0.004254 cm and 0.006140 cm, respectively.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.52 no.4
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• pp.681-688
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• 2020

The telegrapher's theory was used to develop a new formulation for the neutron noise equation. Telegrapher's equation is supposed to demonstrate a more realistic approximation for neutron transport phenomena, especially in comparison to the diffusion theory. The physics behind such equation implies that the signal propagation speed is finite, instead of the infinite as in the case of ordinary diffusion. This paper presents the theory and results of the development of a new method for calculation of the neutron noise using the telegrapher's equation as its basis. In order to investigate the differences and strengths of the new method against the diffusion based neutron noise, a comparison was done between the behaviors of two methods. The neutron noise based on SN transport considered as a precision measuring point. The Green's function technique was used to calculate the neutron noise based on telegrapher's and diffusion methods as well as the transport. The amplitude and phase of Green's function associated with the properties of the medium and frequency of the noise source were obtained and their behavior was compared to the results of the transport. It was observed, the differences in some cases might be considerable. The effective speed of propagation for the noise perturbations were evaluated accordingly, resulting in considerable deviations in some cases.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.53 no.4
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• pp.1088-1099
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• 2021

Time-frequency analysis technique is an effective analysis tool for non-stationary processes. In the field of reactor neutron noise, the time-frequency analysis method has not been thoroughly researched and widely used. This work has studied the time-frequency analysis of the reactor neutron noise experimental signals under bubble disturbance and control rod vibration. First, an experimental platform was established, and it could be employed to reactor neutron noise experiment and data acquisition. Secondly, two types of reactor neutron noise experiments were performed, and valid experimental data was obtained. Finally, time-frequency analysis was conducted on the experimental data, and effective analysis results were obtained in the low-frequency part. Through this work, it can be concluded that the time-frequency analysis technique can effectively investigate the core dynamics behavior and deepen the identification of the unstable core process.

• Proceedings of the Acoustical Society of Korea Conference
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• autumn
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• pp.401-406
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• 1999

In relation to a non-destructive evaluation of irradiation damages of micro-structure interstitial, void and dislocation, the changes in the hysteresis loop, Barkhausen noise amplitude and the harmonics frequency due to a neutron irradiation were measured and evaluated. The Mn-Mo-Ni low alloy steel of RPV was irradiated to a neutron fluence of $2.3\times10^{19}\;n/cm^2\;(E\geq1\;MeV)\;at\;288^{\circ}C$. The saturation magnetization of neutron irradiated metal did not change. The neutron irradiation caused the coercivity to increase, whereas susceptibility to decrease. The amplitude of Barkhausen noise parameters associated with the domain wall motion were decreased by a neutron irradiation. The spectrum of Barkhausen noise is analysed with an applied frequency of 4 Hz and 8 Hz, sampling time of $50\;{\mu}sec\;and\;20\;{\mu}sec$. The harmonic frequency shows 4 Hz, 8 Hz, 12 Hz; and 16 Hz reflected from an unirradiated specimen. On the contrary, the harmonic frequency disappeared on the irradiated specimen.

• The Journal of the Acoustical Society of Korea
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• v.18 no.1E
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• pp.7-12
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• 1999

In relation to a non-destructive evaluation of irradiation damages, the changes in the hysteresis loop and Barkhausen noise amplitude and the harmonics frequency due to a neutron irradiation were measured and evaluated. The Mn-Mo-Ni low alloy steel of RPV was irradiated to a neutron fluence of 2.3 ×10/sup 19/ n/㎠ (E ≥1 MeV) at 288℃. The saturation magnetization of neutron irradiated metal did not change. The neutron irradiation caused the coercivity to increase, whereas susceptibility to decrease. The amplitude of Barkhausen noise parameters associated with the domain wall motion were decreased by a neutron irradiation. The spectrum of Barkhausen noise is analysed with an applied frequency of 4 Hz and 8 Hz, sampling time of 50 μ sec and 20 μ sec. The harmonic frequency shows 4 Hz, 8 Hz, 12 Hz and 16 Hz reflected from an unirradiated specimen. On the contrary, the harmonic frequency disappeared on the irradiated specimen. In addition to the amplitude, the harmonic frequency of Barkhausen noise is taken into accounts as a promising tool for monitoring the irradiation induced degradation of the reactor materials such as a SA508 of PWR-RPV steel and a Zr₄ of HANARO-CNH.

• Proceedings of the Acoustical Society of Korea Conference
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• autumn
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• pp.231-234
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• 2000

In relation to a non-destructive evaluation of irradiation damage of micro-structure of interstitial, void and dislocation, the changes in the hysteresis loop and Barkhausen noise amplitude and the harmonics frequency due to neutron irradiation were measured and evaluated. The Mn-Mo-Ni low alloy steel of reactor pressure vessel was irradiated to a neutron fluence of $2.3\times10^{19}n/cm^2$ $(E\ge1MeV)$ at $288^{\circ}C.$The saturation magnetization of neutron irradiated metal did not change. Neutron irradiation caused the coercivity to increase, whereas susceptibility to decrease. The amplitude of Barkhausen noise parameters associated with the domain wall motion were decreased by neutron irradiation. The spectrum of Barkhausen noise was analyzed with an applied frequency of 4Hz and 8Hz, and a sampling time of 50 $\mu$ sec and 20 $\mu$ sec. The harmonic frequency of Joule effect shows 4Hz, 8Hz, 12Hz and 16Hz reflected from an unirradiated specimen. On the contrary, the harmonic frequency disappeared for the irradiated specimen. Harmonic frequency of induced voltage of sinusoidal magnetic field And Spectrum of Barkhausen noise on material is determined.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.53 no.5
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• pp.1391-1402
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• 2021

The aim of this work is to prepare a neutron noise calculator based on the second order of average current nodal expansion method (ACNEM). Generally, nodal methods have the ability to fulfill the neutronic analysis with adequate precision using coarse meshes as large as a fuel assembly size. But, for the zeroth order of ACNEM, the accuracy of neutronic simulations may not be sufficient when coarse meshes are employed in the reactor core modeling. In this work, the capability of second order ACNEM is extended for solving the neutron diffusion equation in the frequency domain using coarse meshes. For this purpose, two problems are modeled and checked including a slab reactor and 2D BIBLIS PWR. For validating of results, a semi-analytical solution is utilized for 1D test case, and for 2D problem, the results of both forward and adjoint neutron noise calculations are exploited. Numerical results indicate that by increasing the order of method, the errors of frequency dependent coarse mesh solutions are considerably decreased in comparison to the reference. Accordingly, the accuracy of second order ACNEM can be acceptable for the neutron noise calculations by using coarse meshes in the nuclear reactor core.

• Proceedings of the KIEE Conference
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• 2000.11d
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• pp.638-640
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• 2000

Reactor Noise is defined as the fluctuations of measured instrumentation signals during full-power operation of reactor which have informations on reactor system dynamics such as neutron kinetics, thermal-hydraulics, and structural dynamics. Reactor noise analyses of ex-core neutron detector internals such as fuel assembly and Core Support Barrel in Nuclear Power Plant. A real time mode separation technique have been developed and applied for the analyses. The analyses data base have been constructed for the continuous monitoring and diagnose of the reactor internals. Detailed design of diagnostic system reactor internal structures using neutron noise(RIDS).