The paper focuses on the recent methodological advances suitable for nuclear heating measurements in zero power research reactors. This bibliographical work is part of an experimental approach currently in progress at CEA Cadarache, aiming at optimizing photon heating measurements in low-power research reactors. | State of the art on nuclear heating measurement methods and expected improvements in zero power research reactors EPJ Nuclear Sci. Technol. 3 11 2017 Nuclear Sciences M. Le Guillou et al. published by EDP Sciences 2017 amp Technologies DOI epjn 2017002 Available online at http REGULAR ARTICLE State of the art on nuclear heating measurement methods and expected improvements in zero power research reactors Mael Le Guillou Adrien Gruel Christophe Destouches and Patrick Blaise CEA DEN DER SPEx Centre de Cadarache F-13108 Saint-Paul-lez-Durance Cedex France Received 9 September 2016 Received in final form 15 December 2016 Accepted 25 January 2017 Abstract. The paper focuses on the recent methodological advances suitable for nuclear heating measurements in zero power research reactors. This bibliographical work is part of an experimental approach currently in progress at CEA Cadarache aiming at optimizing photon heating measurements in low-power research reactors. It provides an overview of the application fields of the most widely used detectors namely thermoluminescent dosimeters TLDs and optically stimulated luminescent dosimeters. Starting from the methodology currently implemented at CEA the expected improvements relate to the experimental determination of the neutron component which is a key point conditioning the accuracy of photon heating measurements in mixed n g field. A recently developed methodology based on the use of 7Li and 6Li-enriched TLDs precalibrated both in photon and neutron fields is a promising approach to deconvolute the two components of nuclear heating. We also investigate the different methods of optical fiber dosimetry with a view to assess the feasibility of online photon heating measurements whose primary benefit is to overcome constraints related to the withdrawal of dosimeters from the reactor immediately after irradiation. Moreover a fibered setup could allow measuring the instantaneous dose rate during irradiation as .
