Optical Fibres in Nuclear Radiation Environments

Abstract

The aim of this work is to illustrate the activities related to the assessment of fibre-optic technology in hostile nuclear environment and to provide the interested reader with an introduction to this subject. Potential applications of fibre-optics in nuclear installations are summarised. Effects of nuclear radiation on optical fibres are shortly discussed. The absence of complete predictive models for the radiation induced attenuation in optical fibres is illustrated by modelling attempts and explained by the wide range of parameters which influence the induced loss. The need for standards in assessing the fibre's radiation resistance is also presented. Finally, experimental methods are illustrated with results of radiation induced attenuation in optical fibres obtained for a high-dose rate and high total dose irradiation, as not often reported in literature.( *) This paper was presented at a poster session.

Radiation-Hard and Intelligent Optical Fiber Sensors for Nuclear Power Plants

“…al., 2005). Radiation hardness of OFS equaled earlier to a general dose of irradiation of about 1.2 MGy with γ-radiation and 2.6•10 16 neutrons/cm 2 with a neutron fluence (Berghmans F. & Decréton M., Ed.,1994) but now reaches doses of gamma radiation up to 23 MGy and neutron flux 52 •10 16 neutrons/cm 2 (Fiedler et. al., 2005).…”

Gamma radiation resistant Fabry–Perot fiber optic sensors

“…7,8 Under normal operations, the gamma ray dose rates are estimated to be between 10 Ϫ5 and 1 Gy/h for possible fiber or fiber optic sensor applications in a nuclear power plant. If considering the plant lifetime to be 40 years, then fibers or fiber optic sensors should withstand these dose rates and a total dose up to 1 MGy over 40 years.…”