On the Feasibility of using Ex-core Neutron Instrumentation for Reactor State Diagnosis during Accidents

In the case of a severe reactor accident, knowledge of the coolant level and the state of the core, including the progress of a possible core melt, would be of crucial interest. In such a scenario, the in-core instrumentation will most likely not be available. In this work, we explore the possibility of using the ex-core neutron detectors to gain information about the state of the reactor pressure vessel (RPV) inventory for a light water reactor. These detectors, which are typically implemented as ionization chambers, are located inside the biological shield and might still be operational during a severe accident. Stationary Monte Carlo calculations using the radiation transport code MCNP were performed to simulate the transport of neutrons outside the RPV and the reactions of the ionization chambers. These detector signals are computed for different model reactor states which might occur during a severe accident with core meltdown. The reactor model is based on data from a typical German Pressurized Water Reactor.
The results indicate that a change in coolant level should be detectable. Due to the core’s neutron self-shielding, deformations in the inner core region, such as the formation of a cavity, do not yield different signal rates in the ex-core neutron chambers. Changes not confined to the centre of the core, such as the relocation of corium into the lower head, re detectable by their change in the ionization chambers’ reaction rates.