Critical management system for nuclear fuels

Purpose: To enable to provide display for the scale of accidents and critical state by detecting gamma-rays issued from nuclear fuels by gamma-ray level indicators to obtain outputs in proportion to the input level of the gamma-rays based on the detected pulse signals. Constitution: The gamma-ray level indicators comprises a plastic scintillator that emits light upon input of gamma-rays and a photomultiplier that amplifies weak fluorescence obtained from the scintillator. The photomultiplier is applied with a high voltage from a power source. A pre-amplifier amplifies pulse signals corresponding to individual gamma-rays at a high amplification factor and send them to a pulse counter circuit if the detected signal level from the gamma-ray level indicators is low, or amplifies the pulse detection signals at a low amplification factor and sends them to a voltage pulse averaging circuit if the detection signal level is high. A signal procession circuit selects the output from the pulse counter circuit or the voltage pulse averaging circuit. Thus, the system has a linear characteristic over a wide range equivalent to a wide range of incident gamma-rays. (Horiuchi, T.)