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SMIRNOF - A versatile in-pile reactor irradiation facility for radiation assessment of optical fibres in fission-reactor environment
To qualify optical fibers in high radiation environments we designed a versatile radiation test facility called SMIRNOF. The system fits any irradiation channel of BR2 and records in-situ the radiation response of irradiated optical fibres. This approach allows to cover a wide range of irradiation conditions accessible to BR2 and specified by the user.
The irradiation facility consists in a in-pile section (IPS) supporting a removable irradiation basket and an out-of-pile section (OPS) controlling the temperature condition during the irradiation. In the IPS the fibers can be coiled on the irradiation basket if desired. The fibers are protected in stainless steel tubes of 2.4 mm diameter to ensure a safe operation during the whole experiment.
In transmission configuration up to four tubes can be irradiated simultaneously allowing to test a large number of fibers of various sizes. The irradiation basket can be removed and reloaded with new fibers for many irradiation cycles. Typical lead length between the irradiation section and the data acquisition is 25 meters.
SMIRNOF In-Pile Section before loading into the SCK•CEN BR2 reactor
As temperature is an important parameter governing the radiation response of optical fibers the irradiation facility is controlled in temperature by means of an air flow. For a given reactor power the temperature of the fibers is set to the desired value by varying the air mass flow and the pressure. Figure Y shows possible temperature operating ranges as a function of the reactor power. At full power typical temperature lies from 100°C to 400°C.
SMIRNOF Irradiation basket showing a typical optical fibre pathway protected in stainless steel capillaries |
Air flow cooling system |
Temperature working range in the SMIRNOF irradiation facility as a function of the BR2 reactor power and the cooling conditions |
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