Setup and testing of the BBNCC Neutron Well Counter
A new prototype well counter for nuclear safeguards using non-standard neutron detection mechanism has been designed, constructed, and taken into operation at JRC. The instrument, named Boron Based Neutron Correlation Counter or BBNCC, employs 24 BF3 gas proportional counters to achieve a neutron detection efficiency of 26%. This report describes details of the detector design, and includes the results of the initial characterisation of the detector in terms of safeguards assay parameters, e.g. die-away time, detection efficiency and dead-time, as an instrument intended for verification of bulk Pu samples. Besides the use of neutron detectors different from the standard 3He gas counters, the BBNCC also became the testbed for the newly in-house developed front-end electronics for gas proportional counters. The tests carried out thus also represent the first in-situ application of the new detector electronics. For this reason some details of the performance testing, e.g. stability and electronic noise level, of the detection system is also reported.
At this point the BBNCC, although a prototype instrument, is fully prepared for inspection use and can thus be considered a valid alternative to the standard counters currently operated by Euratom Safeguards of DG ENER.
PEDERSEN Bent;
VARASANO Giovanni;
2025-07-28
Publications Office of the European Union
JRC140186
978-92-68-27768-3 (online),
1831-9424 (online),
EUR 40329,
OP KJ-01-25-299-EN-N (online),
https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC140186,
10.2760/4642029 (online),
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