Welcome to Neutron Beam Group (NBG) web page. The NBG consisted of from faculty, student and staff who involved in the development and utilization of neutron beam techniques at the Radiation Science and Engineering Center (RSEC). The Neutron Beam Laboratory (NBL) is one of the experimental facilities at the RSEC. Well-collimated beams of neutrons, thermalized by a D20, are passed into the NBL for use in various neutron beam techniques. When the reactor core is placed next to a D2O tank and graphite reflector assembly near the beam port locations, thermal neutron beams become available from two of the seven existing beam ports. In steady state operation at 1 MW, the thermal neutron flux is 1x10 13 n/cm 2 sec at the edge of the core and 3x10 13 n/cm 2 sec at the central thimble. The Penn State Breazeale Reactor (PSBR) can also pulse with the peak flux for maximum pulse ~ 6x10 16 n/cm 2 sec with a pulse width of 15 msec at half maximum.

The PSBR has seven beam ports. Only one of the beam port is at the centerline of the TRIGA core, four beam ports are five inches below the centerline of the core and the other two are eleven inches below the centerline of the core. Due to inherited design issues with the current arrangement of beam ports and reactor core-moderator assembly, the further development of innovative experimental facilities utilizing neutron beams is extremely limited. Therefore, a new core-moderator location in PSBR pool and beam port geometry needs to be determined in order to build useful neutron beam facilities. New beam ports would be geometrically aligned with the core-moderator assembly for optimum neutron output and expanded through to the new beam hall.

The new core-moderator and beam port arrangement requires expansion of the existing beam laboratory in order to place instrumentation, neutron guides, and beam catcher, etc. The new beam hall will have a total of 3,700 sq ft of experimental area (the existing area of ~1,000 sq ft plus a new additional area of ~2,700 sq ft). Also, about 3,100 sq ft of new office and meeting/classroom space will be added in the second floor of the expanded beam hall to support students and faculty working in this area.

Architectural plans for the RSEC expansion for a new Neutron Beam Hall and Neutron Beam Ports facilities are completed. Working with a professional architectural firm, a contractor, and related personnel from various university functions, we obtained a firm estimate for the expansion cost. Internal benefactors of the new neutron beam facilities are identified. We obtained support letters or expression of interests from about 30 faculty members from four different colleges within the university. More than half of the total budget for expansion is currently available, and efforts to raise the remaining portion of budget continue.

The research areas envisioned for RSEC's new beam port/beam hall design primarily will be in cutting-edge nuclear science and materials science. Examples include the following: a Neutron Depth Profiling facility for depth vs. concentration measurements, impurity determination of He-3 and B-10 in semiconductors, metal and alloys; a Cold Neutron Source and Cold Neutron Prompt Gamma Activation Analysis for neutron focusing research, materials characterization and determination of impurities in historically or technologically important material; a Neutron Powder Diffractometer for structural determination of materials, and a Triple Axis Diffractometer to train students on neutron diffraction and perform preliminary structural determinations of materials.

Current NBG projects are listed below:

•  Time-of-Flight Neutron Depth Profiling at the Penn State University Breazeale Nuclear Reactor

•  Neutron Beam Characterization of the Breazeale Nuclear Reactor at the Pennsylvania State University, Radiation Science and Engineering Center

•  Testing Neutron-Induced Soft Errors in Semiconductor Memories

•  Soft Error Analysis Toolset (SEAT) Development

•  Study of Water Distribution and Transport in a Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cell Using Neutron Imaging

•  Neutron Imaging System Improvements

•  Modelling of existing beam-port facility at Penn State University Breazeale Nuclear Reactor by using MCNP

•  Investigation of preferential flow of water in sand samples using real time neutron radiography. Collaborative work with Cornell University, Ward Center for Nuclear Sciences.

Nuclear Science and Engineering (NSE) research and education is vital for the advancement of nuclear energy, medical research, material characterization, and development of new technologies. In order to maintain and advance NSE research and education, University Research and Training Reactors need to be improved and new experimental facilities have to be built. A unique opportunity has emerged after the initiation and implementation of the DOE-INIE (Innovations in Nuclear Infrastructure and Education) Program. A consortium (Big-10 Consortium) led by Penn State University with Purdue University, University of Illinois, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Ohio State University, and University of Michigan was chosen by DOE-INIE for facility infrastructure improvements to advance research and education through collaborations with participating institutions, government laboratories, other universities and corporations. Funds from the INIE award have been targeted for the development, construction and purchase of the instrumentation needed to establish a state-of-the-art neutron beam facilities at Penn State's Radiation Science and Engineering Center. A substantial progress has been made for the design and development of new beam hall and beam port facilities during the past two years. Phases of this development will be communicated in this web page. I want to welcome you again in NBG web page. Please contact me at k-unlu@psu.edu if you have any questions.

 

Regards,

Prof. Kenan Ünlü

Associate Director for Research,

Radiation Science and Engineering Center