Reactor power monitoring using silicon carbide fast neutron detectors

Silicon Carbide semiconductor detectors have been demonstrated for fast fission-neutron monitoring in a nuclear reactor. A linear response of the fast-neutron response to reactor power has been demonstrated over a factor of twenty in power range. The relative precision of the Silicon Carbide response compared to the reactor power monitors was better than 0.6% and was 0.2% compared to a Silicon Carbide thermal neutron detector over this power range. Initial current-mode thermal neutron response measurements also showed a linear response to power. (authors)