ELFT HÍRADÓ

[szpl <szpl AT metal.elte.hu>]

ELTE Fizikai Intézet

                                ORTVAY KOLLOKVIUM

                    2017. november 16., csütörtök, 15:00-kor
                Az ELTE Pázmány Péter s. 1/A alatti épületében
                           földszinti 0.81 előadóban

                                    Pázsit Imre
                        (Chalmers University, Goteborg)

   How chance processes and randomness can make nuclear power safer – reactor
                    diagnostics with neutron noise analysis

Kivonatos ismertetés:
Most parameters of a non-trivial system, either biological or physical, are 
inherently random. In stationary physical systems, the randomness is manifested
by small fluctuations around the mean value. Such small fluctuations, also 
called “noise”, are most often considered as unwanted, and suppressed. However,
if one understands how these fluctuations (which often have very fascinating 
and unexpected features) arise, they become a true “gold mine”, i.e. they 
contain a wealth of information about the system, which one can obtain in a 
non-intrusive way during normal operation.

In this talk, I will show how fluctuations of the neutron distribution 
(“neutron noise”) in a nuclear reactor are utilized for improving reactor 
safety. The functioning of a nuclear reactor, and the basic physical processes 
in the reactor are first described. Then, the various reasons for the 
generation of the fluctuations in the neutron population are discussed. 
Finally, it is shown how the neutron noise can be used for monitoring the 
“health status” of nuclear reactors and to indicate incipient failures in an 
early phase. Examples of applications in Swedish and Hungarian power plants 
will be given.