Detailed design of ex-vessel neutron yield monitor for ITER

Abstract

Taking into consideration the latest design of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) main units, we have made the detailed design consideration for an ex-vessel neutron yield monitor to meet the ITER requirements. The monitoring system is constructed of four detector modules consisting of several 235U fission chambers with different sensitivities and graphite (or beryllium) neutron moderator. We also selected possible spaces in the diagnostic ports to install them at appropriate distances and neutron shielding effects from the plasma. Through Monte Carlo neutron transport calculations, it has been confirmed that the present system can cover all the neutron yields encountered in the ITER experiments including the in situ calibrations with a time resolution around 200 μS without detector replacement over the whole ITER experiments. This system can also be calibrated with 10% of required accuracies in a realistic 50 h of accumulation time using a DT neutron generator. © 2004 American Institute of Physics.