APSD up to 100 kHz dataset measured in the IPEN/MB-01 research reactor facility

Abstract

The data presented in this work are from the very accu- rate reactor noise measurements performed in the IPEN/MB- 01 research reactor facility. The quantity inferred from the measured data was the Auto Power Spectral Density (APSD) with the frequency range extended up to 100 kHz. The core configuration considered a short version of the IPEN/MB-01 core, consisted of a 26 ×24 rectangular array of fuel rods with control banks totally withdrawn. The measured reactiv- ity excess for this configuration was equal to (10 ±3) pcm. The subcriticality was reached by poisoning the reactor wa- ter with boric acid (H 3 BO 3 ) in the concentrations of 286.8 and 578.6 ppm of natural boron. The main goal of these experiments was to test subcritical configurations with uni- form poisoning. The average temperature for the experiment with 286.8 ppm of natural boron was (19.82 ±0.37) °C and that for the 578.6 ppm was (19.89 ±0.09) °C. The core was driven by the 241 Am-Be start-up source ( ∼1.0 Ci) of the facil- ity placed in the reflector. The APSD (in units of count 2 /Hz) was inferred employing the IPEN/MB-01 Correlator. The basic measured data arise from the pulses of two 3 He Centronic detectors placed in the reflector region.