Design and Construction of a Preamplifier for Research Reactor Control System Using Russia’s Neutron Detectors

Abstract

This paper presents the design and construction of a preamplifier device for Research Reactor Control System, using Russia’s Neutron Detectors of ionization and fission chambers. In this work, the preamplifier device which consists of a wide range Current to Frequency Converter block used with a compensation ionization chamber type KNK-3 to measure the thermal neutron flux in the range of 1x10⁶ ¸ 1x10¹¹ n/cm².s, a Pulse Preamplifier block used with a fission chamber type KNK-15 to measure the thermal neutron flux in the range of 1x10⁰ ¸ 1x10⁶ n/cm².s, and a Power Supply block, was designed and tested in different conditions in the laboratory and at Dalat Nuclear Research Reactor (DNRR). Obtained results show that, the above blocks have almost design specifications as equivalent or better in comparison with the same function blocks of the DNRR’s Control System which were designed by the former Soviet Union. They also meet the utilization requirements as well as the experimental and training purposes.