MetroFission - Project Partners

Metrology for New Generation Nuclear Power Plants - Project Partners

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National Physical Laboratory, (NPL, UK)

The National Physical Laboratory (NPL) is the UK�s national standards laboratory for metrology. Founded in 1900, it has become a world leading National Measurement Institute (NMI), with over 600 specialists in measurement science and research & development. As the UK�s national standards laboratory, NPL underpins the national measurement system, ensuring consistency and traceability of measurements throughout the UK. NPL offers a range of measurement services, contract research, consultancy and training services. Other areas of expertise include the design and characterisation of engineering materials; and mathematical software, especially its application to measurement and instrumentation. The MetroFission project benefits from NPL expertise in temperature, materials, neutrons and radionuclide metrology.

CEA (Laboratoire National Henri Becquerel)

The Laboratoire National Henri Becquerel (LNHB), a laboratory of CEA (the French atomic energy commission), is the French national metrology laboratory for ionizing radiation designated by LNE. Their permanent staff amounts to 53 persons. The fields covered by CEA-LNHB are radioactivity and dosimetry of photons and charged particles. This laboratory is also involved in the evaluation of radionuclide decay data and coordinates the Decay Data Evaluation Project.

CEA-LNHB has worked for many years in the development of primary activity measurement techniques, and was one of the pioneers of the TDCR scintillation method. It has also pioneered the development of cryogenic detectors applied to radionuclide metrology, both for activity measurements and spectrometric applications. The laboratory has also developed original analogue signal treatment electronic devices (for dead time corrections) associated with those measurement techniques, which have been distributed in several metrology laboratories. A programme started a few years ago aimed at developing digital treatment systems adapted to its measuring equipment.

CEA-LNHB will contribute to technical WP5, WP6 and WP7, and the WP8 Creating impact. In WP5 the laboratory will work on the cryogenic detector design and on the measurements of the shape of beta spectra; in WP6, on the realisation of a portable TDCR system and WP7 on the study on measuring devices with digital treatment systems. CEA-LNHB will lead WP6.

CEM

CEM is the Spanish National Institute of Metrology responsible for the maintenance and dissemination of the measurement national standards. The Temperature Division is responsible for the development, maintenance and dissemination of the thermodynamic temperature unit: the Kelvin, by means of the International Temperature Scale of 1990 (ITS-90). Nowadays the Centro Español de Metrología realizes the ITS-90 from -189,3442 °C (triple point of argon) up to 2200 °C.

The contact temperature laboratory has wide and long experience in working with thermocouples, performing calibrations in the range from 0 °C up to 1 600 °C and also in their construction. It has been involved in different international comparison related with novel thermocouples types such as Pt/Pd thermocouple. It has facilities to calibrate thermocouples at fixed points (Sn, Zn, Al, Ag, Cu and Co-C) and/or by comparison to a radiation thermometer up to 1600 °C. Different types of furnaces (heat pipes and 3 zones) with good thermal profiles are available to perform the work together with the set-up to assemble thermocouples and to perform their necessary electrical and heat treatments.

CEM participates in WP1 as the task-2 leader whose objective is to investigate the metrological characteristics of Mb/Nb thermocouple family and the means for enhancing their stability and ensuring their traceability.

CIEMAT

The Centre for Energy, Environment and Technology Research (CIEMAT) includes the Ionizing Radiations Metrology Laboratory (LMRI) which is the Spanish National Standards Laboratory for ionizing radiations, according to Royal Decree 533/1996, and Designated Institute by the Spanish Centre of Metrology (CEM) in this field.

With a staff of 21 people, the CIEMAT(LMRI) maintains the national standards of activity of radionuclides, kerma and absorbed dose using two different radioactive facilities with 7 operative laboratories covering alpha-, beta- and gamma-emitters, and ¹³⁹Cs, ⁶⁰Co beams at protection and therapy levels, X-rays ISO qualities from 10 kV to 300 kV, and ⁸⁵Kr, ¹⁴⁷Pm and ⁹⁰Sr/⁹⁰Y beta radiation beams.

Since the 1980s the CIEMAT(LMRI) has particularly developed high precision alpha-particle spectrometric and absolute counting instruments and techniques that have been applied in several EUROME/EURAMET projects. Also since the 1990s, the CIEMAT(LMRI) has been developing studies aimed at developing new measurement systems based on digital techniques.

The CIEMAT(LMRI) will participate in the technical WP5 (Nuclear Decay Data) and WP7 (Digital Coincidence Counting-DCC), as well as in WP8 (Creating Impact) and WP9 (Management and Coordination). In WP5, the CIEMAT(LMRI) will contribute to the preparation of ²³⁸U alpha sources of very high spectrometric quality, in the measurements of such sources and in the analysis of data to determine the ²³⁸U alpha emission probabilities. In WP7, the CIEMAT(LMRI) will contribute to the experimental characterisation of high-speed sampling (> 1Gs^-1) preamplifier pulses, that will serve to the optimal design of digital processing hardware. Then it will also contribute to the implementation of such pulse shapes into the 2- and 3-channel systems, in the intercomparison of ¹³⁴Cs using two different digital coincidence counting systems already in use and in the preparation of reports and knowledge dissemination.

CMI

CMI is the National Metrology Institute of the Czech Republic. The basic subject of the CMI is the function as a state administration body according to the Law No. 505/1990 Coll. on metrology in the fields of national standards, dissemination of units and measuring instruments legal metrological control.

CMI�s activities include:

Maintenance and technical development of national and other primary standards including measurement units dissemination to secondary standards,
Maintenance of secondary standards of the highest order and measuring instruments state metrological control performance,
Verification of legal measuring instruments,
State metrological supervision and surveillance,
Scientific, development and research activities in the field of metrology,
Calibration of measuring instrument owned or used by corporate or physical bodies,
International cooperation in the field of metrology,
Providing of metrological expertise, issuing of certificates and expert opinions,
Providing of technical and metrological operations,
Type approvals of domestic and imported measuring instruments,
Managing of certified reference materials and issuing their certificates.

On behalf of the Czech Republic, CMI is a signatory of the international CIPM MRA Arrangement (signed in Paris in 1999) on mutual recognition of national standards and calibration certificates published by the national metrology institutes (NMIs). In accordance with this arrangement, calibrations made by CMI in the fields, ranges and with calibration measurement capabilities (CMC) given in the BIPM database are accepted by the other signatory NMIs and by accreditation bodies associated in ILAC.

One part of CMI is the Inspectorate for Ionizing Radiation (known as IIR), which carries out metrology of quantities of ionizing radiation at the highest reasonably achievable technical level, secondary standardization, reliable transmission and traceability for all users of the instruments used for measuring ionizing radiation in the CR.

The standardisation of radionuclide activity is made by several detection systems including DCC and TDCR working on basis of the absolute method for the activity determination.

CMI participates in WP6 TDCR. CMI will contribute to update of TDCR model in existing NMI software for relevant beta spectrum shapes and interlaboratory comparison of two nuclides of relevance to new generation nuclear power plants, Pu-241 and H-3, with traceability to the International Reference System.

CNAM

Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers (CNAM) is a public research and teaching institution. One of its institutes, INM (Institut National de Métrologie), is in charge of the research in the field of metrology and is funded by LNE (Laboratoire National de Métrologie et d'Essais) which is in charge of the national metrology strategy and funding.

CNAM is the WP1 leader for temperature measurements. It will also bring the experience of its staff in contact thermometry and metal-carbon eutectic realisation and study. CNAM has contributed to the study and definition of the reference function of the Pt/Pd thermocouples in the early 2000.

ENEA

The National Institute of Ionizing Radiation Metrology (ENEA-INMRI) is responsible for developing and providing the Italian national standards relating to the ionizing radiation quantities. ENEA-INMRI belongs to ENEA and is located at the ENEA Casaccia Research Centre, near Rome. ENEA-INMRI is one of the Italian participants in the "Mutual Recognition of National Measurement Standards and of Calibration Certificates Issued by National Metrology Institutes" (CIPM MRA).

The metrological activities at ENEA-INMRI are carried out along the following lines: Therapy level and industrial radiation processing dosimetry standards, Protection level dosimetry standards, Radionuclide and neutron standards.

A calibration service for instruments used in the measurement of ionizing radiation is provided at ENEA INMRI for medical, research, industrial and radiation protection purposes.

Besides the programmes concerning primary standards and calibration, the research activities at ENEA INMRI deal with the more general field of research and standardization in the field of radiation and radioactivity measurement, including development of new detectors and detection methods, computer simulation, radioactivity reference materials.

ENEA participates in WP6, WP6, and WP7 and leads the WP8 "Creating impact". The contribution is based on competence in absolute activity measurements by coincidence counting techniques and liquid scintillation counting, and on Monte Carlo calculation.

IFIN-HH

IFIN-HH (Horia Hulubei National Institute of Physics and Nuclear Engineering) is a Designated Institute (DI) from Romania, signatory of the CIPM MRA. The Radionuclide Metrology Laboratory (LMR) from IFIN-HH has a long experience in primary and secondary methods of activity standardization, production of different radioactive standard sources, participations in intercomparisons of activity measurements. Dr. Aurelian Luca has an important experience in gamma-ray spectrometry and participated recently at the IAEA CRP "Updated Decay Data Library for Actinides" (2005-2008), by performing nuclear decay data evaluations for several Actinides: ²³⁶U, ²³⁴Th, ²²⁸Ra, ²¹¹Bi and ²¹¹Po; he also organized two important international workshops in the field of nuclear data: DDEP-2008 and ENSDF-2009 both in cooperation with the IAEA. For this JRP, the IFIN-HH experience will be used to disseminate the results obtained, by supporting the organization of workshops, in Romania or abroad (Creating Impact WP). IFIN-HH can also bring a small contribution in WP5 (Improved nuclear decay data) � by evaluating the new nuclear decay data measured during the project.

JRC-IRMM and -ITU

Two institutes of the European Commission�s Joint Research Centre are participating in this JRP - the Institute for Reference Materials and Measurement (JRC (IRMM)) and the Institute for Transuranium Elements (JRC (ITU)).

The JRC (IRMM)'s Nuclear Physics Unit is one of the key European laboratories for neutron cross-section measurements and radionuclides metrology. It offers a combination of world-class neutron installations, experiments using state-of-the-art detectors and electronics equipment. These activities are supported as a direct action of the EURATOM program. Neutron measurements are performed at two facilities: The Geel Electron Linear Accelerator GELINA is a white neutron source, where the time-of-flight (TOF) method is used to determine the energy of the interacting neutrons in the energy range from 1 meV - 20 MeV. At the Van de Graaff (VdG) facility of JRC (IRMM) quasi mono-energetic beams of neutrons are produced in the energy range up to 24 MeV. JRC (IRMM) is engaged in neutron metrology and maintains a primary neutron standard. The radionuclide metrology group maintains primary standards, participates in EURAMET and BIPM intercomparisons and operates an ultra low-level counting laboratory called HADES. JRC (IRMM) is an active participant to European projects with a nuclear data component and has ample experience with coordination of projects, work packages and tasks. JRC (IRMM) actively collaborates in nuclear data projects operated by the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency and the IAEA Nuclear Data Section and has bilateral collaboration agreements with institutes in Europe, DOE and AECL. JRC (IRMM)'s Radionuclide Metrology Laboratory, founded in 1960, has a considerable experience in the primary standardisation of activity and in nuclear decay data measurements. JRC (IRMM) scientists have published numerous peer-reviewed papers on a wide variety of topics in the field of radionuclide metrology. With respect to the project, JRC (IRMM) has excellent facilities for source preparation, mass spectrometry, high-resolution alpha-particle spectrometry measurements and data analysis.

The mission of JRC (ITU) is to provide the scientific foundation for the protection of the European citizen against risks associated with the handling and storage of highly radioactive materials. JRC (ITU)'s prime objectives are to serve as a reference centre for basic actinide research, to contribute to an effective safety and safeguards system for the nuclear fuel cycle, and to study technological and medical applications of radionuclides/actinides. The Materials Research (MR) Unit, JRC (ITU)'s main actor in this project, consists of a cluster of laboratories with about twenty α-glove boxes, some of them lead-shielded and equipped with remote manipulators for handling γ-active materials. Sophisticated instruments and setups have been installed for a comprehensive characterisation of the physical properties of radioactive materials containing uranium and transuranium elements. Furthermore, a modelling team is developing and maintaining the TRANSURANUS fuel performance/simulation code and is involved in multi-scale modelling of nuclear fuels and actinide materials. The MR Unit is presently working on a number of priority actions of the JRC framework programme ranging from reactor fuel safety to radioactive waste disposal, as well as activities related to nuclear forensics. The MR laboratories are particularly equipped for thermophysical measurements of refractory nuclear materials up to temperatures far above their melting points under hydrostatic pressures up to 4 kbar. Among the experimental facilities, one should mention LAF-I, a γ-shielded laser-flash device for the measurement of the thermal diffusivity of irradiated fuel, which was used to construct the most complete database of reactor irradiation effects on the thermal transport properties of fuel up to very high burnups. The staff is involved in the establishment of thermodynamic databases for next generation reactor fuels, such as oxides, carbides and molten salts, often in collaboration with international partners. In this respect a significant effort is related to the molten salt reactor fuel concept, which is now being combined with experimental studies for which a variety of the Unit�s facilities have been adapted to measure thermal properties and phase diagrams of molten fuel and coolant salts.

JRC (IRMM) contributes to WP4 and WP5 with measurements at the radionuclides laboratory and with measurements at the GELINA and Van de Graaff facilities. Evaporated and electrodeposited fission deposits will be prepared for a secondary fluence standard and for the Pu fission measurements, respectively. Work includes the establishment of a setup at GELINA with the secondary standard, development of protocols for calibration of fission and boron ionization chambers against the secondary standards and measurements of key cross sections against the calibrated fission chambers.

The JRC (ITU) participates in WP2 and WP3 based on competences in the areas of high-temperature thermophysical property measurements and of chemical-thermodynamic modelling, as applied to materials and systems of nuclear interest. JRC (ITU) will contribute to the development and parameterisation of thermodynamic models for a range of actinide containing systems. It will participate in a study, including representative measurements, on the applicability of the laser-flash technique to thermal diffusivity measurements of molten salts up to 1000 °C. It will also make available other facilities and equipment relevant to thermal property measurements, in particular as part of the feasibility study on the identification and characterisation of selected candidate "transfer reference materials".

LNE

The Laboratoire National de Métrologie et d'Essais (LNE) is committed to excellence in measurement and testing for the benefit of industries and consumers alike. LNE's public service mission enables to: 1) operate as the national reference laboratory in metrology, 2) pursue its scientific and technological development in order to anticipate new measurement and testing requirements in the spheres of energy, safety, health, quality and environmental protection, 3) provide state authorities and key economic players with the technical assistance they require to draft new regulations and standards at national, European and International level. As a National Metrology Institute (NMI), LNE has been developing for many years competencies, comprehensive and high accurate facilities for measuring the main thermophysical properties of materials, such as thermal transport properties, caloric quantities and radiative properties in a large temperature range with reliable uncertainties of measurement.

For more than one decade, LNE has been involved in strengthening the coherency of thermophysical properties measurements carried out worldwide by participating in different reference material certification processes (IRMM 440, BCR-724) and interlaboratory comparisons (thermal conductivity, thermal diffusivity, emissivity) within the framework of BIPM (CCT-WG9). LNE�s reference diffusivimeter has been recently optimized, in order to allow simultaneous thermal diffusivity and effusivity measurements on thick ceramic coatings (thermal barriers) deposited on metallic substrate up to 800 °C. LNE was also strongly engaged in the development of facilities for a Nuclear Research Laboratory to study thermophysical properties of solid materials in the range from 300 to 3300 K. LNE is currently developing new competencies on microscale thermal properties at high temperature.

LNE leads the WP3.The contribution is based on competences in areas of thermophysical properties metrology. LNE will develop and improve facilities devoted to thermal transport and radiative properties of materials. LNE will use a number of major facilities and equipment in order to characterise the thermal properties of advanced materials selected by JRC (ITU).

PTB

The PTB is the German national metrology institute and the highest technical authority for metrology and certain sectors of safety engineering. It operates under the auspices of the Federal Minister of Economics and has about 1600 employees.

Division 6 "Ionising radiation": This division has a large number of reference fields (photons, electrons, neutrons) and comprehensive experience in dosimeter calibration, developing detection methods and in computer simulation of interactions, e.g. in detectors or phantoms. Important tasks cover measuring techniques for the detection of ionizing radiation, dosimetry for radiotherapy, radiodiagnostics and radiation protection, radiation measurements in the environment, activity measurements and the determination of atomic and nuclear data. The units of activity, fluence rate, air kerma, absorbed dose and dose equivalent are realized and disseminated via calibrations. In addition, the Division deals with fundamental research work in the fields of radioactivity, dosimetry and metrology of alpha, beta, gamma, X-ray and neutron radiation. Facilities for primary and secondary radioactivity standardization are available for more than 80 radionuclides with α, β, γ and X-ray radiation. Many of these radionuclides are relevant for nuclear power plants. The most important methods for the absolute determination of the activity are the 4πβ-γ coincidence and the TDCR method. Depending on the radionuclide, the smallest uncertainty of measurement attainable is between 0.1 % and 0.7 %.

Division 7 "Temperature and Synchrotron Radiation": This division has unique capabilities in non-contact temperature measurement from -170 °C up to 3200 °C (iMERA special facility PriTeRa) and in absolute detector radiometry. Combining these methods PTB is establishing facilities for thermophysical property measurement with special emphasize on high temperatures and emissivity, relying on the experience of their stuff over a wider field of thermophysical property measurement.

PTB participates in 5 WP. The contribution is based on competence in areas of neutron metrology, radionuclide metrology and temperature metrology. PTB provides a number of major facilities and equipment to the project such as the accelerator facility PIAF, the measurement facilities for primary and secondary activity standardization, and the infrastructure to prepare and handle radioactive material.

SMU

The SMU (Slovak Institute of Metrology), Centre for Ionising Radiation is a national standard laboratory for radioactivity measurements. The main activities of the laboratory are the development of measuring methods and metrology standards in the field of radioactivity. The laboratory provides traceability for radioactivity measurements at nuclear power plants. Laboratory staff are experienced with various measuring methods used in radioanalytical laboratories. SMU will establish the liquid scintillation counting method and develop TDCR based radioactivity standard, to cover demands of nuclear power plants in the future, resulting from construction of new nuclear power plants in Slovakia.

SMU will develop a radioactivity standard based on commercially delivered TDCR instrumentation as knowledge transfer from experienced metrology institutes in this project. SMU will organise and host workshop as dissemination activity.

Temperature

Accurate and traceable temperature measurements affect many aspects of business such as materials processing, energy efficiency, medical diagnostics and food safety.

The current government-funded research programme in temperature includes: Primary acoustic thermometry; Provision of contact thermometry standards; Provision of non-contact thermometry standards; Improved high-temperature thermocouple thermometry to 1500 °C; High-temperature fixed-points for improved non-contact scale definition and dissemination; Future temperature scale developments; Internal temperature measurement validation; Knowledge transfer and Joint Industrial Projects.

NPL is developing novel robust temperature sensors for harsh environments as well as self-validating temperature sensors and is discussing these innovative measurement solutions with several organisations in the nuclear sector.

Materials

Adoption of new materials - or their use in new applications such as new generation nuclear industry - depends on an ability to understand, characterise and measure these materials throughout their working life. This includes their processing properties, performance and durability. NPL supports Government strategy and has a leading role in the measurement of materials and development of new international standards.

NPL has significant expertise in a number of techniques (laser flash method, DSC, levitated drop calorimetry, push rod dilatometry�) that can be used to measure thermal diffusivity, specific heat and thermal expansion coefficient of many kinds of materials at high temperatures.

NPL also contributed to the development of the Virtual Institute for Thermal Metrology (Evitherm database website) and has taken part in BIPM interlaboratory comparisons in the field of thermophysical properties. These measurements contribute to the development of materials specifications, manufacture and testing standards for use of novel materials for new-build reactor plants.

NPL is a world leader in the critical assessment and use of thermodynamic data to predict chemical and phase equilibria. NPL has extensive experience in collaborating with the nuclear industry involving both civil and defence related applications.

In addition to thermodynamic modelling software NPL also makes routine use of molecular dynamics software and ab-initio quantum chemistry techniques to assist in the parameterisation of thermodynamic models.

Neutrons

NPL's mission in the field of ionising radiation is to enable all users of ionising radiation in the UK to carry out measurements for radiation dosimetry, radioactivity, and neutrons to an accuracy that is fit for purpose and at the forefront of good practice internationally. To that end, NPL seeks (through a government-supported programme) to provide primary measurement standards, associated services and knowledge transfer mechanisms. Facilities in the neutron metrology area include: a 3.5 MV Van de Graaff accelerator for producing fast neutrons and, via a moderator assembly, thermal neutrons. Also available are a range of radionuclide sources and a manganese bath for neutron source emission rate measurements. NPL is one of only four national metrology laboratories in the world which offer monoenergetic fluence standards, and is the only national laboratory in Western Europe presently offering thermal neutron standards.

Radionuclide Metrology

NPL has been internationally involved in the field of radionuclide metrology and primary standardisation of radioactivity for more than 40 years and has considerable experience in a wide range of applications related to radionuclide metrology, in particular primary standardisation of activity by the 4πβ-γ coincidence counting technique. NPL has modern laboratories with radiochemical suites and facilities for source preparation of radioactive solutions and exhibits many techniques for primary and secondary measurements of radioactivity such as 4πβ-γ coincidence counting, TDCR, liquid scintillation counting, gamma spectrometry, ionisation chamber measurements etc.