Neutron Radiography at the HFR Petten

European Commission Directorate-General For The Information Society And Media Directorate-General For Research And Innovation

Description

Compilation of HFR Petten contributions to the Third World Conference on Neutron Radiography and to the SITEF NDT Symposium 1989
Nuclear energy and safety
Energy research

Informations

• Publié par: EUROPEAN-COMMISSION-DIRECTORATE-GENERAL-FOR-THE-INFORMATION-SOCIETY-AND-MEDIA-DI
• Nombre de lectures: 31
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 5 Mo

Extrait

JOINT NEUTRON RADIOGRAPHY
RESEARCH
AT THE CENTRE
HFR PETTEN
Compilation of HFR Petten contributions
to the Third World Conference
on Neutron Radiography and
to the SITEF IMDT Symposium 1989
radiation collimator directed ηκ·ρη* attenuated image detector
source ( moderator)beam ' beam or recorder
¡mage
(film)
shielding Commission of the European Communities
nuclear science
and technology
Neutron Radiography at the HFR Petten
Compilation of HFR Petten contributions
to the Third World Conference on
Neutron Radiography and
to the SITEF NDT Symposium 1989
J. F. W. Markgraf, editor
DG XII/JRC, Institute for Advanced Materials,
Petten Site
Directorate General
Science, Research and Development
March 1990 EUR 12727 EN Published by the
COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
Directorate-General
Telecommunications, Information Industries and Innovation
L-2920 Luxembourg
LEGAL NOTICE
Neither the Commission of the European Communities nor any person acting
on behalf of then is responsible for the use which might be made of
the following Information
Cataloguing data can be found at the end of this publication
Luxembourg, Office for Official Publications of the European Communities, 1990
ISBN 92-826-1262-7 Catalogue number: CD-NA-12727-EN-C
© ECSC-EEC-EAEC, Brussels ' Luxembourg, 1990
Printed in the Netherlands TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
THE PETTEN NEUTRON RADIOGRAPHY SERVICES (PNRS) 1
Facilities and methods
J.F.W. Markgraf, H.P. Leeflang, K.H. van Otterdijk
EXPERIENCE WITH THE HB-8 FACILITY AT THE HFR PETTEN 11
FOR THERMAL AND SUBTHERMAL NEUTRON RADIOGRAPHY
H.P. Leeflang, E.J. Bleeker, J.F.W. Markgraf,
K.H. van Otterdijk
APPLICATION OF IMAGE PROCESSING TECHNIQUES IN 23
DIMENSIONAL ANALYSIS
K.H. van Otterdijk, H.P. Leeflang, J.F.W. Markgraf
COMPARISON OF OPTICAL DENSITY PROFILES FROM TRAVELLING 39
MICRODENSITOMETER AND A PC-BASED IMAGE ANALYSIS SYSTEM
K.H. van Otterdijk, H.P. Leeflang, J.F.W. Markgraf
THE PRACTICAL UTILIZATION OF NITROCELLULOSE FILM IN 53
NEUTRON RADIOGRAPHY
J.F.W. Markgraf
NEUTRONY IN EUROPE FOR INDUSTRY AND RESEARCH 65
Techniques, facilities and applications
J.F.W. Markgraf Neutron Radiography at the HFR Petten
Compilation of High Flux Reactor (HFR) Petten contributions to
the Third World Conference on Neutron Radiography,
Osaka/Japan, May 14-18, 1989, and to
the SITEF NDT symposium 1989 on
European Advances in Non-Destructive Testing,
Toulouse/France, October 17-19,1989
INTRODUCTION
After the First and Second World Conference on Neutron Radiography, held in
1981 in San Diego/USA and 1986 in Paris/France respectively, booklets (EUR 7915
EN and EUR 10831 EN) containing the Petten contributions were issued separately
to the conference proceedings. In a similar way and in succession to the above
mentioned compilations, this third booklet contains the five papers on neutron
radiography activities at the Petten High Flux Reactor (HFR) presented at the
Third World Conference on Neutron Radiography which was held in May 1989 in
Osaka, Japan. In addition, a survey on neutron radiography in Europe for
industry and research as presented at the SITEF NDT symposium 1989 on European
Advances in No n-Destructive Testing, held in Toulouse/France in October 1989 is
included.
The papers compiled here are concerned with:
o the neutron radiography services available in Petten,
o the experience with and applications of neutron radiography at Petten,
o image evaluation and analysis techniques at Petten,
o the practical utilization of nitrocellulose film in neutron radiography in
Europe,
o an introduction into the basic principles of neutron radiography,
o an overview of the neutron radiography facilities in Europe for industry
and research and
o a survey of typical applications of neutron radiography in industry,
research and sciences.
It is the intention of this compilation to provide a comprehensive overview of
the present Petten activities and European facilities in this young and
promising field of non-destructive testing of materials and components from the
nuclear and the non-nuclear industries and research organizations, and from the
sciences.
J.F.W. Markgraf, editor
HFR Division
Institute of Advanced Materials,
Petten, January 1990 THE PETTEN NEUTRON RADIOGRAPHY SERVICES
Facilities and methods
J.F.W. Markgraf
Joint Research Centre (JRC) of the Commission of the
European Communities (CEC),
Institute of Avanced Materials, Petten Establishment
NL 1755 Z.G Petten N.H., Postbox 2, The Netherlands
H.P. Leeflang, K.H. van Otterdijk
Netherlands Energy Research Foundation (ECN)
NL 1755 ZG Petten N.H., Postbox 1, The Netherlands
Keywords: neutron radiography (NR),' NR-cameras, imaging
techniques, Mage analysis techniques, NR-applications
ABSTRACT
The Petten Neutron Radiography Services, PNRS, represent
the jointny (NR) facilities of the ECN
and JRC at Petten. They comprise two NR-facilities at the
High Flux Reactor (HFR) and one at the Low Flux Reactor
(LFR), and a specialized NR-laboratory.
NR-services are offered to nuclear and non-nuclear
applications from Research and Industry.
The NR-laboratory handles all kinds of NR-films and
images. It employs equipment for dimensional, optical
and image analysis.
The contribution gives a survey of the PNRS, their NR-
facilities and related techniques. INTRODUCTION
The Petten Neutron Radiography Services, PNRS, represent
the joint Neutron Radiography (NR) services of the ECN and JRC
Establishments at Petten. They comprise the NR-facilities and
associated laboratories at the two Petten test reactors, the
High Flux Reactor, HFR, and the Low Flux Reactor, LFR.
The joint activities of the PNRS address:
* NR-support to Research and Industry,
* promotion and marketing of NR-services and applications,
* provision of independent advice and expertise related to NR,
* development and upgrading of NR-techniques, facilities and
application s,
* support of, and participation in the activities of the
Neutron Radiography Working Group, NRWG /l/, constituted
under the auspices of the CEC, represented by the JRC Petten.
THE NEUTRON RADIOGRAPHY INSTALLATIONS
The PNRS utilizes three NR-systems which serve four
NR-facilities as summarized in table 1, showing their main
operational characteristics.
Table 1: Main characteristics of the NR-installation s at Petten
Location -High Flux Reactor (HFR)- <-Low FLux-Reactor->
NR-camera situated <—under-water—> -in HFR hall (beam tube 8, HB8) > in LFR hall
neutron beam plane <—vertical--horizontal-
main utilization area -nuclear projects- -non-nuclear projects-
neutron density at object flight tube length
plane, m s 9 m 11 m
filtered by material
o sub-thermal Be S Bi 1.6*10
11 ,10 ,11
o thermal 1*10 no 2.0*10 1.4*10"
o pure thermal Si S Bi 2.5*1010 (only Si- 4.2*10' 2.5*10
10
o epithermal Cd 2.7*10 fi Iter)
beam dimensions, in nm, 250 diameter 86*584 100* 160 220
object plane diameter
max. object size, mm 1000 * 5000 * 7500 150 * 200 * 1558 200 diameter * 4000 900 * 600 * 2000
annual availability -280 to 300 days- <—45 days > Present and future R&D activities on these NR-facilities
will be directed to:
* further exploration of the NR-capabilities for Research and
Industry,
* upgrading of the NR-imaging station for dynamic NR,
electronic imaging and tomography, and
* extension of the HFR-HB8 flight tube into a separate
NR-laboratory outside the HFR containment building.
THE NR-FACILITIES FOR NUCLEAR APPLICATIONS
Two NR-cameras are routinely used within nuclear research
programmes:
* an underwater NR-camera within the HFR pool (HFR-UW-TE) and
* a "dry" NR-camera in front of the HB8 neutron beam tube of
the HFR (HFR-HB8-T).
The HFR-UW-TE NR-camera has been in use since 1971 /2/
for thermal and epithermal/fast NR examination and inspection of
HFR irradiation devices /3/. and test objects, e.g. fuel rods
/4,5/, at various stages of the experimental programmes. The
majority of the test objects is highly radioactive and requires
therefore remote handling. Special object holders and flanges,
including freezing flanges are available for reproducable
positioning and guidance of the components to be investigated.
Typical NR-images originating from this camera are shown
in /3 to 6/. During the HFR vessel exchange operation, 1984/85,
the NR-camera, Fig.l, was renewed.
legend
1 diaphragm
2 collimator
3 NR-camera displacement system
4 cassette carrier
5 object chamber
NR-camera character!sts
application thermal NR and
epithermal NR
neutron beam
2 r\dll m~l s~] (thermal) density at
object plane 2.7*10 m s (epithermal)
beam dimension
at object plane 86* 584 nm
L/D ratio 233
8 mri diaphragm
7.2 Cd ratio
Fig. 1 Under-water NR-camera at the HFR, HFR-UW-TE The current HFR-HB8-T NR-camera /7/, Fig.2, has been in
operation since 1981 for therma