Fast Neutron Collar – Innovative system for fresh nuclear fuel verification

Overview

Fast Neutron Collar is an innovative system for fresh nuclear fuel verification which improves significantly the capability of the nuclear safeguards inspectors to verify the declarations of the nuclear fuel producers more precisely and in shorter time.

The system uses an innovative measurement technique based on liquid scintillator detectors, which detect fast neutrons from induced nuclear fissions with less than 100 ns of delay time. This gives the possibility to detect induced nuclear fissions collecting coincident neutron signals in short time windows and dramatically reducing the contribution of background neutrons.

Fast Neutron Collar – DAQ

The Fast Neutron Collar is composed by a transportable DAQ system and a modular collar detector.
The core of the DAQ system is composed by fast digital pulse processing electronics designed and produced by CAEN.

The DAQ system integrates a rack mount high end computer running a software designed both for inspector use on field for fuel verification and for technician mode, for optimizing and configuring the acquisition conditions.

A turnkey solution for nuclear safeguard

The collar detector is composed by three detector panels, each integrating 4 liquid scintillator cells whose signals are independently readout.

The robust mechanical structure has been designed to be accommodate in the internal cavity PWR, BWR, WWER fuel bars. The system can be easily transported in the facilities by a compact forklift.