Radiation Portal Monitor with B+Zns(Ag) Neutron Detector
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ISSSD 2016 September 24 to 28th, 2016. Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Chiapas. México. _________________________________________________________________________________________________ Radiation Portal Monitor with 10B+ZnS(Ag) Neutron Detector Performance for the Detection of Special Nuclear Materials Karen A. Guzmán-García1,*, Hector Rene Vega-Carrillo2, Eduardo Gallego1/2 Juan Antonio González3, Roberto Méndez4, Alfredo Lorente1/3 & Sviatoslv Ibañez-Fernandez1/4 1Departamento de Ingeniería Energética, ETSI Industriales Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, C. José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, 28006 Madrid, Spain 2Unidad Académica de Estudios Nucleares, Universidad Autónoma de Zacatecas C. Ciprés No. 10 98060, Zacatecas, Zac. Mexico 3Laboratorio de Ingeniería Nuclear, ETSI Caminos Canales y puertos Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, C. Prof. Aranguren 3, 28040, Madrid Spain 4Laboratorio de Patrones neutrónicos. CIEMAT, Av. Complutense 40, 28040, Madrid Spain *email: [email protected] Abstract In homeland security, neutron detection is used to prevent the smuggling of Special Nuclear Materials. Thermal neutrons are normally detected with 3He proportional counters, in the Radiation Portal Monitors, RPMs, however due to the 3He shortage new procedures are being studied. In this work Monte Carlo methods, using the MCNP6 code, have been used to study the neutron detection features of a 10B+ZnS(Ag) under real conditions inside of a RPM. The performance for neutron detection was carried out for 252Cf, 238U and 239Pu under different conditions. In order to mimic an actual situation occurring at border areas, a sample of SNM sited inside a vehicle was simulated and the RPM with 10B+ZnS(Ag) response was calculated. At 200 cm the 10B+ZnS(Ag) on RPM response is close to 2.5 cps-ng 252Cf, when the 252Cf neutron source is shielded with 0.5 cm-thick lead and 2.5 cm-thick polyethylene fulfilling the ANSI recommendations. Three different geometries of neutron detectors of 10B+ZnS(Ag) in a neutron detection system in RPM were modeled. Therefore, the 10B+ZnS(Ag) detectors are an innovative and viable replacement for the 3He detectors in the RPM. Keywords: Special nuclear materials, Neutron, Radiation portal monitors, MCNP6 72 Proccedings of the ISSSD 2016 Vol. 2 ISSSD 2016 September 24 to 28th, 2016. Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Chiapas. México. _________________________________________________________________________________________________ 1.- INTRODUCTION Since terrorist attacks in the United States in September of 2001, heightened concern with regard to critical infrastructure security and methods necessary for guaranteeing the safety of the general public [Spence 2011]. The Radiation Portal Monitors (RPMs) deployed at ports, railways, airports and vehicle checkpoints, used to screen in vessel, vehicles, cargo and individuals in order to thwart the illicit trafficking of SNM [Weltz et al., 2015]. The RPMs have played important role in preventing the illicit trafficking and transport of nuclear and radioactive materials [Kwak et al., 2010]. With an increase in the capabilities and sophistication of terrorist networks worldwide comes a corresponding increase in the portability of radiological or nuclear devices being detonated in any place of the world. One method to decrease the risk associated with this threat is to interdict the material during transport of goods. Current RPMs have limitations in their ability to detect shielded nuclear materials [Spence 2011]. But also still play an important role in national security. Current RPM deployed at borders are generally equipped with two types of radiation sensors; high efficiency gamma detectors commonly based on plastic scintillators of Poly- Vinyl-Toluene (PVT), and neutron detectors that are exclusively based on helium-3, 3He proportional counters, consisted of 3He tubes surrounded in polyethylene for neutron detection, and plastic scintillators for gamma ray detection [Peerani et al., 2012]. Neutron detection is important for homeland security efforts, including monitors national point of entry the presence of special nuclear material (SNM), which is defined as plutonium and uranium enriched in 233U or 235U and is a fissile component of nuclear weapons [Weltz et al., 2015; Kouzes et al., 2009]. Most current neutron detection systems used for nuclear security are based on 3He (technology) proportional counter, these are robust, gamma insensitive, and remain an efficient, proven technology for detecting thermal neutrons. However, a global shortage of 73 Proccedings of the ISSSD 2016 Vol. 2 ISSSD 2016 September 24 to 28th, 2016. Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Chiapas. México. _________________________________________________________________________________________________ 3He has caused the price to surge and limits the future supply of these neutron detectors, stimulating the development of alternative neutron detection technology [Weltz et al., 2015; Peerani et al., 2012]. The aim of this work is to study the neutron detection features of the 10B+ZnS(Ag) detectors, using Monte-Carlo neutron-transport, with the MCNP6 code under real conditions inside on RPMs, in border areas, with a vehicle-based simulation in similarly to the RPMs benchmark simulation, in order to study the performance for each detector for detect a neutron source of 252Cf, and SNM, (HUE 70% 238U) and 239Pu under two different conditions; bare and shielding, for each detection system. 74 Proccedings of the ISSSD 2016 Vol. 2 ISSSD 2016 September 24 to 28th, 2016. Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Chiapas. México. _________________________________________________________________________________________________ 2.- MATERIALS AND METHODS 10 2.1.-Description of the N-15, N-48 and N-15 plus of B+ZnS(Ag) First of all three different detectors are going to be explained, they are detectors of 10B+ZnS(Ag), N-15 “nDetBrick”, N-48 and the N-15plus. The N-15 and N-48 were manufactured by BridgePort Instruments, LLC. Both use a mixture of 10B high enrichment, with a scintillator detector ZnS(Ag), 10B+ZnS(Ag), as neutron detection. The screens are on polymethyl methacrylate, PMMA, with twofold, as a neutron moderator and as light guide, guide the pulses to a photomultiplier tube embedded high voltage supply, and a multichannel analyzer eMorpho® digital electronics. The sensitive area of each detector is formed by 5 transparent layers of 10B+ZnS(Ag) deposited on 4 plates of PMMA of 23 x 36 x 0.635 cm ( N-15), 120 x 15.2 x 0.635 cm (N- 48). The PMMA acts as light guide and as moderator. All is surrounded by ~8µm thick aluminum mylar as light reflector. The internal configuration is shown in Figure 1. Figure 1.- Internal configuration N-15 and N-48 75 Proccedings of the ISSSD 2016 Vol. 2 ISSSD 2016 September 24 to 28th, 2016. Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Chiapas. México. _________________________________________________________________________________________________ These detectors has similar geometry, both are rectangular and with the same internal array. The external size of the N-15 detector is 23 x 36 x 4 cm, and the external dimensions of the N- 48 detector are 141.5 x 16.7 x 6.35 cm. Each detector has an outer moderator t of high- density polyethylene, (0.94gr/cm3), HDPE. For the N-15 detector the moderator thickness is 24 mm in the front, lateral faces, and top, bottom 36 mm while 48 mm-thick in the back (24+36+48 mm). The N- 48 is 25 mm-thick in front, top, bottom, and lateral faces, while 50 mm-thick in the back (25+50 mm) as shown in Figure 2. Figure 2.- Configuration N-15 and N-48 detectors, bare and moderated. A new model of neutron detector was studied; prototype, [Guzmán-García et al., 2016] based on previous studies of the N-15 neutron detector, and was called N-15 plus, which is an improvement geometry respect to the manufactured detector, N-15 ―nDetBrick‖. The difference respect to the actual N-15 is the PMMA thickness, from 0.635 to 0.800 cm and the sensitive area has 30% of 10B higher than the actual detector, The internal configuration can be seen in Figure 3. 76 Proccedings of the ISSSD 2016 Vol. 2 ISSSD 2016 September 24 to 28th, 2016. Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Chiapas. México. _________________________________________________________________________________________________ Figure 3.- N-15 plus model MCNP configuration. In summary, the N-15 and N-48 are detectors manufactured and with similar internal geometry varying in the detection area and the N-15plus detector is an MCNP6 model based on previous studies from the N-15 detector [Guzmán-García et al., 2016]. These neutron detectors are studied as an alternative to the 3He detectors actual installed in the RPM, for this reason, models in RPM were made. 2.2.-Monte Carlo Calculations 2.2.1.-Radiation Portal Monitors, RPMs, models description Using MCNP6 2.6.1 code version 6.1 [Pelowitz et al., 2014], models of three neutron detections system for RPMs were built including all the each detectors details such as: the sensitive layers, the PMMA, PTM and their moderators, where the PTM was modeled as ta empty cylinder of glass. Each neutron detections systems (N-15, N-48 and N-15plus) are described below. A model was made with the detector N-15 ―nDetBrick‖, three N-15 detectors were positioning in the parallel inside on an iron structure of 200 x 40 x 15 cm dimensions, each detector has the moderator of 24+48 mm HDPE, the first detector (N-15C) was positioned to 75cm from the midpoint from the detector respect to the ground, Figure 4. 77 Proccedings of the ISSSD 2016 Vol. 2 ISSSD 2016 September 24 to 28th, 2016. Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Chiapas. México. _________________________________________________________________________________________________ Figure 4.- N-15, Neutron detector System. Other model was made the detector N-48, was modeled together with a PVT gamma detector of 190 x 41 x 5 cm dimenstions, surrounded by aluminum and shielding with lead and polyethylene, both, N-48 neutron detector and PVT gamma detector are inside on an iron structure of 235 x 80 x 18 cm dimensions, this configuration can see in Figure 5. Figure 5.- Radiation Portal Monitor, RPM, PVT gamma and N-48. 78 Proccedings of the ISSSD 2016 Vol. 2 ISSSD 2016 September 24 to 28th, 2016.