EU OFFERR Project. IRRADCOEFH Gamma Tolerance Test of Thermal CoefH innovative Sensors

In the context of experiments aimed at characterizing the thermal exchanges between fluids, the determination of the h thermal exchange coefficient at the wall is requested. In this objective, the innovative COEFH thermal sensor has been developed and optimized to precisely measure this coefficient. The robustness of its measurement is obtained by performing various tests of the COEFH sensor’s resistance to severe environmental conditions (pressure, temperature, irradiation...). In this case, the tests presented in this paper aim to check the gamma dose tolerance resistance of the sensor (at room temperature, without pressure). The framework of this action is the European OFFERR program underway over the period [2022-2026] and which aims to carry out R&D actions in the facilities identified in the OFFERR network (https://snetp.eu/offerr/). The present action is called IRRADCOEFH. This action was carried out in 2024 April-May through a collaboration between the CEA-DES-IRESNE (France) and the CVR located in the Czech Republic. Tests performed with CVR’s gamma irradiator (*) allowed the electrical characteristics of the COEFH sensor to be continuously tested up to a gamma dose of 50 kGy. These tests were carried out over a period of 3.5 days. The first results obtained show a good behavior of the sensor in the face of gamma irradiation without any observed degradation of its characteristics. These tests made it possible to validate the use of the sensor under gamma radiative environment. After a general description of the OFFERR project, the paper describes the irradiation tests performed with the COEFH sensor at the CVR and provides the first results obtained. Note: the presented results were obtained using the CICRR infrastructure, which is financially supported by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports - project LM2023041.