Performance Test of the Electronic Personal Neutron Dosemeter in Neutron Fields Simulating Workplaces of MOX Fuel Fabrication Facilities

摘要

Recently, several electronic personal dosemeters (EPDs) capable of measuring neutron doseequivalents were developed and have appeared on the market. The authors initiated the present study to assessperformance of neutron EPDs. The EPD selected for this study was NRY21, manufactured by Fuji ElectricSystems Co., Ltd. This dosemeter uses two silicon semiconductor detectors (a fast neutron sensor and a thermalneutron sensor) to provide wide measurable energy ranges from thermal to several tens of MeV. In the test, wefocused on the energy and angular dependences of dose equivalent responses because they were of greatimportance in neutron dosimetry in work environments. Measurements of dose equivalent responses wereperformed in a moderated neutron field simulating neutron spectra likely to be encountered in workplaces at MOXfuel facilities. As a result, the dose equivalent responses of this EPD were evaluated to be 0.7 to 1.1 for a normalincidence of neutron irradiation. This is a satisfactory performance for neutron monitoring.