Characterization of Oversized Crates containing Nuclear Waste
The 212-N Building at the Hanford Site held fifteen large crates containing glove boxes and process equipment associated with the development and fabrication of mixed oxide (MOX) fuel. The gloveboxes and associated equipment originated from the 308 Building of the Hanford Site and had been placed in the crates after a process upset in the 1960s. The crates were transported to the 212-N Building and had been in storage since 1972. In an effort to reduce the hazard categorization of 212-N the crates were removed from the building and Nondestructive Assay (NDA) was performed to characterize the crate contents meeting both Safeguards and Waste Management interests. A measurement system consisting of four configurable neutron slab detectors and high purity germanium (HPGe) detectors was deployed. Since no viable information regarding the waste matrix and configuration was available it was essential to correct for attenuation with a series of transmission measurements using californium and europium sources for both neutron and gamma applications. The gamma and neutron results obtained during this measurement campaign are compared and discussed in the paper.
- Research Organization:
- Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC05-76RL01830
- OSTI ID:
- 947487
- Report Number(s):
- PNNL-SA-55769; TRN: US0901851
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Proceedings of 48th Annual Meeting on Institute of Nuclear Material Management, 280-282
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
ATTENUATION
CALIFORNIUM
CONFIGURATION
EUROPIUM
FABRICATION
GERMANIUM
GLOVEBOXES
GLOVES
NEUTRONS
OXIDES
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
SAFEGUARDS
STORAGE
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTES
nuclear waste
crates
measurements
nondestructive assay
NDA