Development of irradiation rig in HTTR and dosimetry method. I-I type irradiation equipment

The High Temperature Engineering Test Reactor (HTTR) is a graphite-moderated, helium gas-cooled test reactor with a maximum power of 30 MW. The HTTR aims not only to establish and upgrade the technological basis for the HTGRs but also to perform the innovative basic research on high temperature engineering with high temperature irradiation fields. It is planned that the HTTR is used to perform various engineering tests such as the safety demonstration test, high temperature test operation and irradiation test with large irradiation fields at high temperatures. This paper describes the design of the I-I type irradiation equipment developed as the first irradiation rig for the HTTR and does the planned dosimetry method at the first irradiation test. It was developed to perform in-pile creep test on a stainless steel with large standard size specimens in the HTTR. It can give great loads on the specimens stably and can control the irradiation temperature precisely. The in-core creep properties on the specimens are measured by newly developed differential transformers and the irradiation condition in the core is monitored by thermocouples and self-powered neutron detectors (SPNDs), continuously. The irradiated neutron fluence is assessed by neutron fluence monitors of small metallic wires after the irradiation. The obtained data at the first irradiation test can strongly be contributed to upgrade the technological basis for the HTGRs, since it is the first direct measurement of the in-core irradiation environments of the HTTR. (author)