Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering / William L. Dunn / The signature-based radiation scanning (SBRS) technique can be used to rapidly detect nitrogen-rich explosives at standoff distances. This technique uses a template-matching procedure that produces a figure-of-merit (FOM) whose value is used to distinguish between inert and explosive materials. The present study develops a tiered-filter implementation of the signature-based radiation scanning technique, which reduces the number of templates needed. This approach starts by calculating a normalized FOM between signatures from an unknown target and an explosive template through stages or tiers (nitrogen first, then oxygen, then carbon, and finally hydrogen). If the normalized FOM is greater than a specified cut-off value for any of the tiers, the target signatures are considered not to match that specific template and the process is repeated for the next explosive template until all of the relevant templates have been considered. If a target’s signatures match all the tiers of a single template, then the target is assumed to contain an explosive. The tiered filter approach uses eight elements to construct artificial explosive-templates that have the function of representing explosives cluttered with real materials. The feasibility of the artificial template approach to systematically build a library of templates that successfully differentiates explosive targets from inert ones in the presence of clutter and under different geometric configurations was explored. In total, 10 different geometric configurations were simulated and analyzed using the MCNP5 code. For each configuration, 51 different inert materials were used as inert samples and as clutter in front of the explosive cyclonite (RDX). The geometric configurations consisted of different explosive volumes, clutter thicknesses, and distances of the clutter from the neutron source. Additionally, an objective function was developed to optimize the parameters that maximize the sensitivity and specificity of the method.

Master of Science / Department of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering / Jeffrey Geuther / William L. Dunn / The properties of hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) as a semiconductor neutron detection medium were investigated. Single h-BN crystal domains were synthesized by the Chemical Engineering department at Kansas State University (KSU) using crystallization from molten metal solutions. At Texas Tech University (TTU), a detector was fabricated using epitaxial h-BN growth on a sapphire substrate where metallic micro-strip contacts 5 [mu]m apart and 5 nm thick where deposited onto the un-doped h-BN. In this research both the crystal domains synthesized at KSU and the detector fabricated at TTU were tested for neutron response. Neutron irradiation damage/effects were studied in pyrolytic h-BN by placing samples in the central thimble of the TRIGA MARK II reactor at KSU and irradiating at increasing neutron fluences. The domains synthesized at KSU as well as the detector fabricated at TTU showed no response to neutron activity on a MCA pulse height spectrum. Conductivity analysis showed abrupt increases in the conductivity of the pyrolytic h-BN at around a fluence of 10[superscript]1[superscript]4 neutrons per cm[superscript]2. Bandgap analysis by photoluminescence on the irradiated pyrolytic h-BN samples showed shifts in energy due to towards plane stacking disorders upon neutron irradiation. Future efforts may include the introduction of dopants in h-BN growth techniques for charge carrier transport improvement, and mitigation of plane stacking disorders.

Master of Science / Department of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering / J. Kenneth Shultis / Simulations were performed using MCNP5 to optimize the geometry of a neutron spectrometer. The cylindrical device utilizes micro-structured neutron detectors encased in polyethylene moderator to identify sources based on energy spectrum. Sources are identifi ed by comparison of measured detector responses to predetermined detector response templates that are unique to each neutron source. The design of a shadow shield to account for room scattered neutrons was investigated as well. For sufficient source strength in a void, the optimal geometric design was able to detect all sources in 1000 trials, where each trial consists of simulated detector responses from 11 unique sources. When room scatter from a concrete floor was considered, the shadow shield corrected responses were capable of correctly identifying 96.4% of the simulated sources in 1000 trials using the same templates. In addition to spectrometer simulations, a set of neutron multiplicity experiments from a plutonium sphere with various reflector thicknesses were simulated. Perturbations to nuclear data were made to correct a known discrepancy between multiplicity distributions generated from MCNP simulations and experimental data. Energy-dependent perturbations to the total number of mean neutrons per fission [average velocity] of [superscript]2[superscript]3[superscript]9Pu ENDF/B-VII.1 data were analyzed. Perturbations were made using random samples, correlated with corresponding covariance data. Out of 500 unique samples, the best-case [average velocity] data reduced the average deviation in the mean of multiplicity distributions between simulation and experiment to 4.32% from 6.73% for the original data; the average deviation in the second moment was reduced from 13.87% to 8.74%. The best-case [average velocity] data preserved k[subscript]e[subscript]f[subscript]f with a root-mean-square deviation (RMSD) of 0.51% for the 36 Pu cases in the MCNP validation suite, which is comparable to the 0.49% RMSD produced using the original nuclear data. Fractional shifts to microscopic cross sections were performed and multiplicity and criticality results compared. A 1.5% decrease in fission cross section was able to correct the discrepancy in multiplicity distributions greater than the [average velocity] perturbations but without preserving k[subscript]e[subscript]f[subscript]f .

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering / William L. Dunn / Dense Plasma Focus (DPF) devices are multi-radiation sources of X rays, neutrons (when working with deuterium), ions, and electrons in pulses typically of a few tens of nanoseconds. The Kansas State University device (KSU-DPF) was commissioned to be used as a radiation source with the Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering Department. The device is operated by a 12.5 µF capacitor which can be charged up to 40 kV storing an energy of 10 kJ. The static inductance and resistance of the device L[subscript]0 and r[subscript]0 were measured to be 91±2 nH and 13±3 mΩ. Experiments have shown that the KSU-DPF device produces 2.45 MeV neutrons with a neutron yield of ~2 × 10^7 and 1.05 × 10^7 n/shots in both axial and radial directions. Ions up to 130 keV were measured using a Faraday Cup. The measured hard X-ray spectrum shows an X-ray emission in the range from 20 to 120 keV with a peak at 50 keV while the average effective energy was estimated, using a step filter method, to be 59±3 keV. The KSU-DPF device was used as a pulsed hard X-ray source for material interrogation studies using the signature-based radiation-scanning (SBRS) technique. The SBRS technique uses template matching to differentiate targets that contain certain types of materials, such as chemical explosives or drugs, from those that do not. Experiments were performed with different materials in cans of three sizes. Nitrogen-rich fertilizers and ammonium nitrate were used as explosive surrogates. Experiments showed 100% sensitivity for all sizes of used samples while 50% specificity for 5 and 1- gallon and 28.57% for quart samples. Simulations using MCNP-5 gave results in good agreement with the experimental results. In the simulations, a larger number of materials, including real explosives were tested. To ensure the feasibility of using the DPF devices for this purpose a second device was simulated and the results were encouraging. Experimental and simulation results indicate that use of DPF devices with simple, room-temperature detectors may provide a way to perform rapid screening for threat materials, especially for places where large number of packages need to be investigated.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering / William L. Dunn / Dense plasma focus (DPF) devices are pulsed power devices capable of producing short-lived, hot and dense plasmas (~10[superscript]19 cm[superscript]-3) through a fast compression of plasma sheath. A DPF device provides intense bursts of electrons and ion beams, X-rays, and 2.5 MeV neutrons when operated with deuterium through the fusion reaction [superscript]2H(d,n)[superscript]3He. The Kansas State University DPF machine was designed and constructed in early 2010. The device was characterized to determine its performance as a neutron source. The device was shown to produce 5.0x10[superscript]7 neutrons/pulse using a tungsten-copper anode. Such machines have the advantages of being non-radioactive, movable, and producing short pulses (typically tens of nanoseconds), which allows rapid interrogation. The signature-based radiation-scanning (SBRS) method has been used to distinguish targets that contain explosives or explosive surrogates from targets that contain materials called “inert,” meaning they are not explosive-like. Different targets were placed in front of the DPF source at a distance of 45 cm. Four BC-418 plastic scintillators were used to measure the direct neutron yield and the neutrons scattered from various targets; the neutron source and the detectors were shielded with layers of lead, stainless steel, and borated polyethylene to shield against the X-rays and neutrons. One of the plastic scintillators was set at 70[supercript]o and two were set at 110[superscript]o from the line of the neutron beam; a bare [superscript]3He tube was used for detecting scattered thermal neutrons. Twelve metal cans of one-gallon each containing four explosive surrogates and eight inert materials were used as targets. Nine materials in five-gallon cans including three explosive surrogates were also used. The SBRS method indicated a capability to distinguish the explosive surrogates in both experiments, although the five gallon targets gave more accurate results. The MCNP code was used to validate the experimental work and to simulate real explosives. The simulations indicated the possibility to use the time of flight (TOF) technique in future experimental work, and were able to distinguish all the real explosives from the inert materials.

Master of Science / Department of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering / Jeremy A. Roberts / A novel approach based on the Karhunen-Loéve Transform (KLT) is presented for treatment of the energy variable in response matrix methods, which are based on the partitioning of global domains into independent nodes linked by approximate boundary conditions. These conditions are defined using truncated expansions of nodal boundary fluxes in each phase-space variable (i.e., space, angle, and energy). There are several ways in which to represent the dependence on these variables, each of which results in a trade-off between accuracy and speed. This work provides a method to expand in energy that can reduce the number of energy degrees of freedom needed for sub-0.1% errors in nodal fission densities by up to an order of magnitude. The Karhunen-Loéve Transform is used to generate basis sets for expansion in the energy variable that maximize the amount of physics captured by low-order moments, thus permitting low-order expansions with less error than basis sets previously studied, e.g., the Discrete Legendre Polynomials (DLP) or modified DLPs. To test these basis functions, two 1-D test problems were developed: (1) a 10-pin representation of the junction between two heterogeneous fuel assemblies, and (2) a 70-pin representation of a boiling water reactor. Each of these problems utilized two cross-section libraries based on a 44-group and 238-group structure. Furthermore, a 2-D test problem based on the C5G7 benchmark is used to show applicability to higher dimensions.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering / Douglas S. McGregor / A Micro-Pocket Fission Detector (MPFD) is a miniaturized type of fission chamber developed for use inside a nuclear reactor. Their unique design allows them to be located between or even inside fuel pins while being built from materials which give them an operational lifetime comparable to or exceeding the life of the fuel. While other types of neutron detectors have been made for use inside a nuclear reactor, the MPFD is the first neutron detector which can survive sustained use inside a nuclear reactor while providing a real-time measurement of the neutron flux. This dissertation covers the deployment of MPFDs as a large three-dimensional array inside the Kansas State University TRIGA Mark-II Nuclear Reactor for real-time neutron flux measurements. This entails advancements in the design, construction, and packaging of the Micro-Pocket Fission Detector Triads with incorporated Thermocouple, or MPFD[superscript]3-T. Specialized electronics and software also had to be designed and built in order to make a functional system capable of collecting real-time data from up to 60 MPFD[superscript]3-Ts, or 180 individual MPFDs and 60 thermocouples. Design of the electronics required the development of detailed simulations and analysis for determining the theoretical response of the detectors and determination of their size. The results of this research shows that MPFDs can operate for extended times inside a nuclear reactor and can be utilized toward the use as distributed neutron detector arrays for advanced reactor control systems and power mapping. These functions are critical for continued gains in efficiency of nuclear power reactors while also improving safety through relatively inexpensive redundancy.

Master of Science / Department of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering / William L. Dunn / The signature-based radiation-scanning (SBRS) technique relies on radiation detector responses, called “signatures,” and compares them to “templates”, to differentiate targets containing nitrogen-rich explosives from those that do not. This investigation utilizes nine signatures due to inelastic-scatter and prompt-capture gamma rays from hydrogen, carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen (HCNO) as well as two neutron signatures, produced when a target is interrogated with a 14.1 MeV neutron source beam. One hundred and forty three simulated experiments were conducted using MCNP5. Signatures of 42 targets containing explosive samples (21 of RDX and 21 of Urea Nitrate), and 21 containing inert samples were compared with the signatures of 80 artificial templates through figure-of-merit analysis. A density filter, comparing targets with templates of similar average density was investigated. Both high and low-density explosives (RDX-1.8 g cm-3 and Urea Nitrate-0.69 g cm-3) were shown to be differentiated from inert materials through use of neutron and gamma-ray signature templates with sensitivity of 90.5% and specificity of 76.2%. Density Groups were identified, in which neutron signature templates, gamma-ray signature templates or the combination of neutron and gamma-ray signature templates were capable of improving inert-explosive differentiation. figure-of -merit analysis, employing the best Density Group specific templates, differentiated explosive from inert targets with 90.5% sensitivity and specificity of over 85%.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering / Douglas McGregor / The effect of polyethylene addition on the growth of mercuric iodide (HgI[supscript]2) tetragonal prismatic crystals is examined. Three types of polyethylene powder are utilized: low molecular weight (¯Mw ~ 4 x 103), ultra high molecular weight (¯Mw ~ 3 x 6 106), and spectrophotometric grade polyethylenes. Among these types of polyethylene, the low molecular weight polyethylene produces the most significant change in HgI[supscript]2 morphology, with {110} being the most prominent crystal faces. Thermal desorption - gas chromatography/mass spectroscopy (TD-GC/MS) studies show that thermal desorption of the low molecular weight polyethylene at 100°C and 150°C produce isomers of alkynes, odd nalkanes, and methyl (even-n) alkyl ketones. HgI[supscript]2 growth runs with n-alkanes, with either neicosane, n-tetracosane, or n-hexatriacontane, cannot replicate the crystal shapes produced during growth with the low molecular weight polyethylene, whereas HgI[supscript]2 growth runs with ketones, with either 3-hexadecanone or 14-heptacosanone, produce HgI[supscript]2 tetragonal prismatic crystals, similar to the crystals grown with the low molecular weight polyethylene. C-O double bond contained in any ketone is a polar bond and this polar bond may be attracted to the mercury atoms on the top-most layer of the {110} faces through dipoledipole interaction. As a result, the growth of the {110} faces is impeded, with the crystals elongated in the [001] direction and bounded by the {001} faces along with large, prismatic {110} faces.

Master of Science / Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering / Hitesh Bindra / This thesis extends the application of Lattice Boltzmann Methods (LBM) to radiation transport problems in thermal sciences and nuclear engineering. LBM is used to solve the linear Boltzmann transport equation through discretization into Lattice Boltzmann Equations (LBE). The application of weighted summations for the scattering integral as set forth by Bindra and Patil are used in this work. Simplicity and localized discretization are the main advantages of using LBM with fixed lattice configurations for radiation transport problems. Coupled solutions to radiation transport and material energy transport are obtained using a single framework LBM. The resulting radiation field of a one dimensional participating and conducting media are in very good agreement with benchmark results using spherical harmonics, the P₁ method. Grid convergence studies were performed for this coupled conduction-radiation problem and results are found to be first-order accurate in space. In two dimensions, angular discretization for LBM is extended to higher resolution schemes such as D₂Q₈ and a generic formulation is adopted to derive the weights for Radiation Transport Equations (RTEs). Radiation transport in a two dimensional media is solved with LBM and the results are compared to those obtained from the commercial software COMSOL, which uses the Discrete Ordinates Method (DOM) with different angular resolution schemes. Results obtained from different lattice Boltzmann configurations such as D₂Q₄ and D₂Q₈ are compared with DOM and are found to be in good agreement. The verified LBM based radiation transport models are extended for their application into coupled multi-physics problems. A porous radiative burner is modeled as a homogeneous media with an analytical velocity field. Coupling is performed between the convection-diffusion energy transport equation with the analytical velocity field. Results show that radiative transport heats the participating media prior to its entering into the combustion chamber. The limitations of homogeneous models led to the development of a fully coupled LBM multi-physics model for a heterogeneous porous media. This multi-physics code solves three physics: fluid flow, conduction-convection and radiation transport in a single framework. The LBE models in one dimension are applied to solve one-group and two-group eigenvalue problems in bare and reflected slab geometries. The results are compared with existing criticality benchmark reports for different problems. It is found that results agree with benchmark reports for thick slabs (>4 mfp) but they tend to disagree when the critical slab dimensions are less than 3 mfp. The reason for this disagreement can be attributed to having only two angular directions in the one dimensional problems.