Experimental study of radiation induced electromotive force effects on mineral insulated cables

Measurements of Radiation Induced Electromotive Force (RIEMF) effects on mineral insulated cables in a pure gamma field and in a combined neutron and gamma field are presented and compared to model calculations. The effect of materials in the immediate surroundings of the cable, as predicted by the model calculations, is clearly demonstrated. In a fission reactor environment, delayed current contributions due to the neutron activation and subsequent beta emission in base materials as well as in impurities such as Mn are clearly observed and are well reproduced by model calculations. The prediction of the gamma induced current component was severely complicated by its strong sensitivity to the detailed geometry and the spectrum and the directivity of the gamma field. Although the RIEMF effect on MI cables can therefore in general not be completely eliminated, some guidelines are provided to minimize them.