Research Capabilities
International Reactor Dosimetry
PNNL staff fabricated about 1,000 neutron fluence and temperature monitors for use by Doosan Heavy Industries in Korea for 6 nuclear power plants under construction for the Shin-Kori Units 1, 2, 3, and 4 and for Shin-Wolsong Units 1 and 2. These monitors are placed around the beltline of the reactor pressure vessels, along with metallurgical samples retrieved during reactor outages over the lifetime of the reactor to provide critical validation of calculations of the neutron fluence, temperature, and radiation damage to the pressure vessel. The Radiochemical Processing Laboratory provides similar monitors for many other clients and performs the post-irradiation testing of these monitors for commercial and test reactors, as well as post irradiation testing of the reactor materials.
Neutron fluence monitors measuring 0.75 inches to 1.25 inches in length