Neutron Beam Laboratory

The Neutron Beam Laboratory (NBL) is one of the most used facilities at the RSEC. Well-collimated beams of neutrons, thermalized by D2O, are passed into the NBL for use in various neutron beam techniques. When the reactor core is placed next to the D2O tank and graphite reflector assembly near the beam port locations, thermal neutron beams become available for neutron transmission and neutron radiography measurements from two of the seven existing beam ports.

The RSEC has a facility specifically designed to measure the 10B concentration in neutron-absorbing materials and has been working in this field since 1998. The facility and the measurement method are used to characterize the effectiveness of most boron-based aluminum neutron-absorbing materials used by the nuclear industry. The neutron beam laboratory also houses a neutron imaging facility for the inspection of materials. The facility has the capability to take film and digital still images with a variety of cameras as well as a new GE Imaging Computed Radiography system that is fully DICONDE compliant. The RSEC also houses an X-ray radiography facility that uses the same imaging technology as the neutron beam facility.