Fusion neutron flux of center hole in LiD assembly under CARR reactor

A LiD assembly was proposed to produce fusion neutrons from thermal neutrons in D2O region of the China Advanced Research Reactor (CARR). The transportation of produced fusion neutrons in the LiD assembly can obtain the fusion neutron flux in its central hole. The neutron flux and the distribution of 6Li(n,α) reaction rate in the LiD assembly were calculated by a computer simulation method with MCNP code. The calculation results show that the fusion neutron flux in the central hole of LiD assembly, Φ , is dependent on the size and structure of assembly, 6Li enrichment, tritium concentration in LiD rods and the physical state of LiD. In the case of LiD rods containing 5% tritium and 6Li enrichment 20%, Φ value reaches to 5.4 × 1013 cm−2 s−1, when the assembly was placed at the thermal neutron flux about 8.0 × 1014 cm−2 s−1 in CARR.