Development, feasibility, and uncertainty of radioactive 22Na tracer dilution and gamma spectroscopy for mass determination of molten salt for pyroprocessing spent nuclear fuels
Abstract
Accurate knowledge of the total mass of molten salts both for pyroprocessing spent nuclear fuels and for molten salt reactors is necessary for safeguards purposes. However, it is challenging to know or measure the total mass of molten salt due to the complicated shapes as well as the compositional—and thus density—changes that occur over time during operation. Here, we investigated radioactive tracer dilution (RTD) as a potential safeguards technique for application to the total mass measurement of LiCl–KCl–UCl3 salt used for uranium electrorefining, with a focus on the feasibility, uncertainty, and fission product effect of RTD for salt mass measurement. To this end, experimental-scale RTD tests (600–700 g of total mass) were initially carried out by adding 22Na tracer salt into LiCl–KCl salt containing 0, 5, and 28wt% radioactive salts from an electrorefiner (ER) for refining uranium. Upon the completion of the experimental-scale RTD tests, we performed a scale-up RTD test by directly adding 22Na tracer salts to the ER, which uses about 12 kg of LiCl–KCl–UCl3 salt during normal operation. This paper reports the main features of RTD for total mass measurement of molten salt and summarizes the results of the experimental-scale and scale-up RTD tests.
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- Idaho National Laboratory (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE Office of Nuclear Energy (NE)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1962078
- Report Number(s):
- INL/JOU-22-69197-Rev000
Journal ID: ISSN 0236-5731; TRN: US2313061
- Grant/Contract Number:
- AC07-05ID14517
- Resource Type:
- Accepted Manuscript
- Journal Name:
- Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Volume: 332; Journal Issue: -; Journal ID: ISSN 0236-5731
- Publisher:
- Springer
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; radioactive tracer dilution; molten salt; gamma spectroscopy; mass measurement; Na-22; safeguards; uncertainty; spent nuclear fuel
Citation Formats
Cao, Guoping, Storms, Brian J., Coleman, Magen E., Hoover, Robert O., and Li, Shelly X. Development, feasibility, and uncertainty of radioactive 22Na tracer dilution and gamma spectroscopy for mass determination of molten salt for pyroprocessing spent nuclear fuels. United States: N. p., 2023.
Web. doi:10.1007/s10967-023-08790-y.
Cao, Guoping, Storms, Brian J., Coleman, Magen E., Hoover, Robert O., & Li, Shelly X. Development, feasibility, and uncertainty of radioactive 22Na tracer dilution and gamma spectroscopy for mass determination of molten salt for pyroprocessing spent nuclear fuels. United States. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-023-08790-y
Cao, Guoping, Storms, Brian J., Coleman, Magen E., Hoover, Robert O., and Li, Shelly X. Tue .
"Development, feasibility, and uncertainty of radioactive 22Na tracer dilution and gamma spectroscopy for mass determination of molten salt for pyroprocessing spent nuclear fuels". United States. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-023-08790-y. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1962078.
@article{osti_1962078,
title = {Development, feasibility, and uncertainty of radioactive 22Na tracer dilution and gamma spectroscopy for mass determination of molten salt for pyroprocessing spent nuclear fuels},
author = {Cao, Guoping and Storms, Brian J. and Coleman, Magen E. and Hoover, Robert O. and Li, Shelly X.},
abstractNote = {Accurate knowledge of the total mass of molten salts both for pyroprocessing spent nuclear fuels and for molten salt reactors is necessary for safeguards purposes. However, it is challenging to know or measure the total mass of molten salt due to the complicated shapes as well as the compositional—and thus density—changes that occur over time during operation. Here, we investigated radioactive tracer dilution (RTD) as a potential safeguards technique for application to the total mass measurement of LiCl–KCl–UCl3 salt used for uranium electrorefining, with a focus on the feasibility, uncertainty, and fission product effect of RTD for salt mass measurement. To this end, experimental-scale RTD tests (600–700 g of total mass) were initially carried out by adding 22Na tracer salt into LiCl–KCl salt containing 0, 5, and 28wt% radioactive salts from an electrorefiner (ER) for refining uranium. Upon the completion of the experimental-scale RTD tests, we performed a scale-up RTD test by directly adding 22Na tracer salts to the ER, which uses about 12 kg of LiCl–KCl–UCl3 salt during normal operation. This paper reports the main features of RTD for total mass measurement of molten salt and summarizes the results of the experimental-scale and scale-up RTD tests.},
doi = {10.1007/s10967-023-08790-y},
journal = {Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry},
number = -,
volume = 332,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue Feb 14 00:00:00 EST 2023},
month = {Tue Feb 14 00:00:00 EST 2023}
}
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