DESIGN AND TECHNIQUES FOR FUSION BLANKET NEUTRONICS EXPERIMENTS USINGAN ACCELERATOR-BASED DEUTERIUM-TRITIUM NEUTRON SOURCE

The experiments performed in the Japan Atomic Energy Research Institut e/U.S. Department of Energy collaborative program on fusion blanket ne utronics are designed with consideration of geometrical and material c onfigurations. The general guide that is used to design the engineerin g-oriented neutronics experiment, which uses an accelerator-based 14-M eV neutron source, is discussed and compared with neutronics character istics of the reactor models. Preparation of the experimental assembly , blanket materials, and the neutron source is described. A variety of techniques for measuring the nuclear parameters such as the tritium p roduction rate are developed or introduced through the collaboration a s a basis of the neutronics experiments. The features of these techniq ues are discussed with the experimental error and compared with each o ther.