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| 2. |
- Alhassan, Erwin, 1984-
(författare)
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Nuclear data uncertainty quantification and data assimilation for a lead-cooled fast reactor : Using integral experiments for improved accuracy
- 2015
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- For the successful deployment of advanced nuclear systems and optimization of current reactor designs, high quality nuclear data are required. Before nuclear data can be used in applications they must first be evaluated, tested and validated against a set of integral experiments, and then converted into formats usable for applications. The evaluation process in the past was usually done by using differential experimental data which was then complemented with nuclear model calculations. This trend is fast changing due to the increase in computational power and tremendous improvements in nuclear reaction models over the last decade. Since these models have uncertain inputs, they are normally calibrated using experimental data. However, these experiments are themselves not exact. Therefore, the calculated quantities of model codes such as cross sections and angular distributions contain uncertainties. Since nuclear data are used in reactor transport codes as input for simulations, the output of transport codes contain uncertainties due to these data as well. Quantifying these uncertainties is important for setting safety margins; for providing confidence in the interpretation of results; and for deciding where additional efforts are needed to reduce these uncertainties. Also, regulatory bodies are now moving away from conservative evaluations to best estimate calculations that are accompanied by uncertainty evaluations.In this work, the Total Monte Carlo (TMC) method was applied to study the impact of nuclear data uncertainties from basic physics to macroscopic reactor parameters for the European Lead Cooled Training Reactor (ELECTRA). As part of the work, nuclear data uncertainties of actinides in the fuel, lead isotopes within the coolant, and some structural materials have been investigated. In the case of the lead coolant it was observed that the uncertainty in the keff and the coolant void worth (except in the case of 204Pb), were large, with the most significant contribution coming from 208Pb. New 208Pb and 206Pb random nuclear data libraries with realistic central values have been produced as part of this work. Also, a correlation based sensitivity method was used in this work, to determine parameter - cross section correlations for different isotopes and energy groups.Furthermore, an accept/reject method and a method of assigning file weights based on the likelihood function are proposed for uncertainty reduction using criticality benchmark experiments within the TMC method. It was observed from the study that a significant reduction in nuclear data uncertainty was obtained for some isotopes for ELECTRA after incorporating integral benchmark information. As a further objective of this thesis, a method for selecting benchmark for code validation for specific reactor applications was developed and applied to the ELECTRA reactor. Finally, a method for combining differential experiments and integral benchmark data for nuclear data adjustments is proposed and applied for the adjustment of neutron induced 208Pb nuclear data in the fast energy region.
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| 3. |
- Andersson, Peter, 1981-
(författare)
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Fast-Neutron Tomography using a Mobile Neutron Generator for Assessment of Steam-Water Distributions in Two-Phase Flows
- 2014
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- This thesis describes the measurement technique of fast-neutron tomography for assessing spatial distributions of steam and water in two-phase flows. This so-called void distribution is of importance both for safe operation and for efficient use of the fuel in light water reactors, which compose the majority of the world’s commercial nuclear reactors. The technique is aimed for usage at thermal-hydraulic test loops, where heated two-phase flows are being investigated under reactor-relevant conditions.By deploying portable neutron generators in transmission tomography, the technique becomes applicable to stationary objects, such as thermal-hydraulic test loops. Fast neutrons have the advantage of high transmission through metallic structures while simultaneously being relatively sensitive to the water/void content. However, there are also challenges, such as the relatively low yield of commercially available fast-neutron generators, the tendency of fast neutrons to scatter in the interactions with materials and the relatively low efficiency encountered in fast-neutron detection.The thesis describes the design of a prototype instrument, FANTOM, which has been assembled and demonstrated. The main design parameters have been optimized to achieve maximal signal count rate in the detector elements, while simultaneously reaching an image unsharpness of ≤0.5 mm. Radiographic projections recorded with the assembled instrument are presented, and the performance parameters of FANTOM are deduced.Furthermore, tomographic reconstruction methods for axially symmetric objects, which is relevant for some test loops, have been developed and demonstrated on measured data from three test objects. The attenuation distribution was reconstructed with a radial resolution of 0.5 mm and an RMS error of 0.02 cm-1, based on data recorded using an effective measurement time of 3.5 hours per object. For a thermal-hydraulic test loop, this can give a useful indication of the flow mode, but further development is desired to improve the precision of the measurements.Instrument upgrades are foreseen by introducing a more powerful neutron generator and by adding detector elements, speeding up the data collection by several orders of magnitude and allowing for higher precision data. The requirements and performance of an instrument for assessment of arbitrary non-symmetric test loops is discussed, based on simulations.
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| 4. |
- Bläckberg, Lisa
(författare)
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Surface Coatings as Xenon Diffusion Barriers for Improved Detection of Clandestine Nuclear Explosions
- 2014
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- This thesis investigates surface coatings as xenon diffusion barriers on plastic scintillators. The motivation for the work is improved radioxenon detection systems, used within the verification regime of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT).One type of radioxenon detection systems used in this context is the Swedish SAUNA system. This system uses a cylindrical plastic scintillator cell to measure the beta decay from radioxenon isotopes. The detector cell also acts as a container for the xenon sample during the measurement.One problem with this setup is that part of the xenon sample diffuses into the plastic scintillator material during the measurement, resulting in residual activity left in the detector during subsequent measurements. This residual activity is here referred to as the memory effect.It is here proposed, and demonstrated, that it is possible to coat the plastic scintillator material with a transparent oxide coating, working as a xenon diffusion barrier. It is found that a 425 nm Al2O3 coating, deposited with Atomic Layer Deposition, reduces the memory effect by a factor of 1000, compared an uncoated detector. Furthermore, simulations show that the coating might also improve the light collection in the detector. Finally, the energy resolution of a coated detector is studied, and no degradation is observed.The focus of the thesis is measurements of the diffusion barrier properties of Al2O3 films of different thicknesses deposited on plastic scintillators, as well as an evaluation of the expected effect of a coating on the energy resolution of the detector. The latter is studied through light transport simulations. As a final step, a complete coated plastic scintillator cell is evaluated in terms of memory effect, efficiency and energy resolution.In addition, the xenon diffusion process in the plastic material is studied, and molecular dynamics simulations of the Xe-Al2O3 system are performed in order to investigate the reason for the need for a rather thick coating to significantly reduce the memory effect.
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| 5. |
- Helgesson, Petter, 1986-
(författare)
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Approaching well-founded comprehensive nuclear data uncertainties : Fitting imperfect models to imperfect data
- 2018
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Nuclear physics has a wide range of applications; e.g., low-carbon energy production, medical treatments, and non-proliferation of nuclear weapons. Nuclear data (ND) constitute necessary input to computations needed within all these applications.This thesis considers uncertainties in ND and their propagation to applications such as ma- terial damage in nuclear reactors. TENDL is today the most comprehensive library of evaluated ND (a combination of experimental ND and physical models), and it contains uncertainty estimates for all nuclides it contains; however, TENDL relies on an automatized process which, so far, includes a few practical remedies which are not statistically well-founded. A longterm goal of the thesis is to provide methods which make these comprehensive uncertainties well-founded. One of the main topics of the thesis is an automatic construction of experimental covariances; at first by attempting to complete the available uncertainty information using a set of simple rules. The thesis also investigates using the distribution of the data; this yields promising results, and the two approaches may be combined in future work.In one of the papers underlying the thesis, there are also manual analyses of experiments, for the thermal cross sections of Ni-59 (important for material damage). Based on this, uncertainty components in the experiments are sampled, resulting in a distribution of thermal cross sections. After being combined with other types of ND in a novel way, the distribution is propagated both to an application, and to an evaluated ND file, now part of the ND library JEFF 3.3.The thesis also compares a set of different techniques used to fit models in ND evaluation. For example, it is quantified how sensitive different techniques are to a model defect, i.e., the inability of the model to reproduce the truth underlying the data. All techniques are affected, but techniques fitting model parameters directly (such as the primary method used for TENDL) are more sensitive to model defects. There are also advantages with these methods, such as physical consistency and the possibility to build up a framework such as that of TENDL.The treatment of these model defects is another main topic of the thesis. To this end, two ways of using Gaussian processes (GPs) are studied, applied to quite different situations. First, the addition of a GP to the model is used to enable the fitting of arbitrarily shaped peaks in a histogram of data. This is shown to give a substantial improvement compared to if the peaks are assumed to be Gaussian (when they are not), both using synthetic and authentic data.The other approach uses GPs to fit smoothly energy-dependent model parameters in an ND evaluation context. Such an approach would be relatively easy to incorporate into the TENDL framework, and ensures a certain level of physical consistency. It is used on a TALYS-like model with synthetic data, and clearly outperforms fits without the energy-dependent model parameters, showing that the method can provide a viable route to improved ND evaluation. As a proof of concept, it is also used with authentic TALYS, and with authentic data.To conclude, the thesis takes significant steps towards well-founded comprehensive ND un- certainties.
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| 6. |
- Sjöstrand, Björn, 1987-
(författare)
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Vacuum Dewatering of Cellulosic Materials : New insights into transport phenomena in the papermaking process
- 2020
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Working towards sustainable development within the forest industry, the dewatering of pulp and paper must be fully understood along with the dewatering of other cellulose-based materials. Huge amounts of energy are used during paper manufacturing so there is a potential for making the processes more energy-efficient. This thesis attempts to gain understanding of vacuum dewatering in the forming section of the conventional papermaking process and its connection with energy consumption in order to suggest actions that may be taken not only to improve energy efficiency but also facilitate the introduction of new materials into existing processes. The main objective of this thesis is to develop a deeper understanding of the vacuum dewatering of forest-based cellulosic materials in existing paper manufacturing processes. Aspects of how rewetting, the structure of the forming fabric and additives of cellulosic materials affect vacuum dewatering are discussed in detail throughout. There is also a large section discussing the use of numerical models and software simulations of dewatering in the forming section of a papermaking machine. A brief background of the papermaking process is presented, along with useful numerical models used previously in that particular context. Three sets of experiments, including rewetting, forming fabrics and additions of cellulosic materials, compose the bulk of the thesis’ method along with two sets of simulations regarding fabrics and additives. This thesis shows how rewetting is both rapid and substantial after high vacuum suction boxes, the way in which the structure of the forming fabrics affects vacuum dewatering and how additions of micro-fibrillated cellulose and dialcohol cellulose affect vacuum dewatering. The results of the simulations and numerical models show how they can be used to explore ways of saving energy in the process as well as to facilitate the introduction of cellulosic additives into existing papermaking processes.
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| 7. |
- Sjöstrand, Henrik, 1978-
(författare)
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Neutron Spectroscopy : Instrumentation and Methods for Fusion Plasmas
- 2008
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- When the heavy hydrogen isotopes deuterium (D) and tritium (T) undergo nuclear fusion large amounts of energy are released. At the Joint European Torus (JET) research is performed on how to harvest this energy. Two of the most important fusion reactions, d+d→3He+n (En = 2.5 MeV) and d+t→4He+n (En = 14 MeV), produce neutrons. This thesis investigates how measurements of these neutrons can provide information on the fusion performance. The Magnetic Proton Recoil (MPR) neutron spectrometer has operated at JET since 1996. The spectrometer was designed to provide measurements on the 14 MeV neutron emission in DT operation, thereby conveying information on the state of the fuel ions. However, a majority of today’s fusion experiments are performed with pure D fuel. Under such conditions, the measurements with the MPR were severely hampered due to interfering background. This prompted an upgrade of the instrument. The upgrade, described in this thesis, included a new focal plane detector, a phoswich scintillator array, and new data acquisition electronics, based on transient recorder cards. This combination allows for pulse shape discrimination techniques to be applied and a signal to background of 5/1 has been achieved in measurements of the 2.5-MeV neutrons in D experiments. The upgrade also includes a new control and monitoring system, which enables the monitoring and correction of gain variations in the spectrometer’s photo multiplier tubes. Such corrections are vital for obtaining good data quality. In addition, this thesis describes a new method for determining the total neutron yield and hence the fusion power by using a MPR spectrometer in combination with a neutron emission profile monitor. The system has been operated at JET both during DT and D experiments. It is found that the systematic uncertainties are considerably lower (≈6 %) than for traditional systems. For a dedicated system designed for the next generation fusion experiments, i.e, ITER, uncertainties of 4 % could be attained. Neutron spectroscopy can also be an important tool for determining the neutron emission from residual tritium in D plasmas. This information is combined with other measurements at JET in order to determine the confinement of the 1 MeV tritons from the d+d→t+p reactions.
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| 8. |
- Sjöstrand Öhrfelt, Magdalena, 1967-
(författare)
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Ord och inga visor : konstruktioner av förskolebarnet i kunskapsekonomin
- 2019
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Historically, changes in preschool policy have been legitimized in relation to ideas about the preschool child and the various problems that the education of this child is supposed to be able to “solve”. From an early age, children have been considered the most effective tool for dealing with a variety of social, economic or environmental issues of central importance for maintaining and developing society.Against this background, the purpose of this thesis is to examine representations of the preschool child in different policy texts (textbooks, research- and educational policy) related to changing requirements and targets affecting contemporary Swedish preschools. Discursive constructions of the preschool child are considered as important central aspects, used to legitimize political reforms in accordance with pedagogical ideas and prevailing social contexts. The thesis focuses on the tensions within contemporary constructions of the preschool child in the so-called “knowledge economy”: i.e. the tensions between a competent child, who is both able and willing to take advantage of education, and a “newcomer” – the vulnerable child – in need of obtaining the benefits of education in order to be able to cope with the future.The simultaneously competent and vulnerable preschool child is thus an efficiently designed target for the interests of economic transnational organizations viewing education mainly in terms of human capital development, as well as an important factor for economic competitiveness.In the thesis’ final analysis, I study how the OECD, EU and IEA are developing methods for measuring and evaluating the results of preschool education, with the intention of being able to "streamline" it by finding universally successful concepts that are both cost-effective and of high quality. The construction of the preschool child as simultaneously competent and vulnerable is used to legitimize shifts in power over the definition of the Swedish preschool agenda, the fundamental ideas of what preschool is about, what its aims are, and for whom it is intended. As these ideas are disguised as being the result of supposedly "objective" forces far from the ideological contradictions of the political sphere, a critical discussion concerning the goals and aims of early childhood education becomes almost impossible to achieve.
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