Evaluation of {sup 252}Cf-source-driven frequency analysis measurements for NDA of dry spent-fuel storage casks
- Oak Ridge National Laboratory, TN (United States)
As a first step in the application of the {sup 252}Cf-source-driven frequency analysis method for the monitoring of spent fuel, an experiment was performed with a mock-up of up to 17 fresh pressurized water reactor (PWR) fuel assemblies in borated water. This measurement in an {approximately}5-ft-diam tank with borated water was to assess the capability of the method to measure the subcritical neutron multiplication factor. Based on the early success of these measurements, an evaluation was done to investigate the use of this method to justify burnup credit. The recent development of an interpretation of the measured data based on a general Monte Carlo transport model. MCNP-DSP, which directly calculates all the measured parameters in this measurement method, allowed the interpretation of all configurations even as small as a single fuel element. MCNP-DSP was used to evaluate the possibility of measuring the fissile mass of a single PWR fuel element as a function of length. Some of the frequency analysis parameters such as the cross power spectral density (CPSD) only correlates neutrons from induced fission by {sup 252}Cf with the source fission and thus does not depend on the background from inherent sources in the spent fuel. This analysis showed that a CPSD measurement between an array of moderated fission chambers on one side of a spent-fuel element and a {sup 252}Cf source on the other was sensitive to the fissile mass of the fuel. Thus, the method could be used to scan a fuel element to obtain the fissile mass directly in 1-ft increments rather than measure the burnup. With these satisfactory results for wet spent fuel usually submerged in water, an evaluation was undertaken to evaluate the method for dry storage of interest to the International Atomic Energy Agency. The dry cask chosen was a 125-t cask capable of storing 21 PWR spent fuel assemblies. This paper presents the initial results of a feasibility study based on calculations.
- OSTI ID:
- 426358
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-961103-; ISSN 0003-018X; TRN: 96:006307-0079
- Journal Information:
- Transactions of the American Nuclear Society, Vol. 75; Conference: Winter meeting of the American Nuclear Society (ANS) and the European Nuclear Society (ENS), Washington, DC (United States), 10-14 Nov 1996; Other Information: PBD: 1996
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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