Techniques for improving shuffler assay results for 55-gallon waste drums

Conference · Mon Aug 01 00:00:00 EDT 1994

OSTI ID:10171027

Rinard, P M; Prettyman, T H ^[1]; Stuenkel, D ^[2]

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1. Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States)
2. University of Michigan (United States). Dept. of Nuclear Engineering

Accurate assays of the fissile contents in waste drums are needed to ensure the most proper and economical handling and disposal of the waste. An improvement of accuracy will mean fewer drums disposed as transuranic waste when they really contain low-level waste, saving both money and burial sites. Shufflers are used for assaying waste drums and are very accurate with nonmoderating matrices (such as iron). In the active mode they count delayed neutrons released after fissions are induced by irradiation neutrons from a {sup 252}Cf source. However, as the hydrogen density from matrices such as paper or gloves increases, the accuracy can suffer without proper attention. The neutron transport and fission probabilities change with the hydrogen density, causing the neutron count rate to vary with the position of the fissile material within the drum. The magnitude of this variation grows with the hydrogen density.

• Research Organization: Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-36
• OSTI ID: 10171027
• Report Number(s): LA-UR-94-2257; CONF-940748-38; ON: DE94016076; TRN: 94:018783
• Resource Relation: Conference: 35. annual meeting of the Institute of Nuclear Materials Management (INMM),Naples, FL (United States),17-20 Jul 1994; Other Information: PBD: [1994]
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS
FISSILE MATERIALS
RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL
LOW-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES
RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT
CONTAINERS
NONDESTRUCTIVE ANALYSIS
CALIFORNIUM 252
RADIATION DETECTORS
X-RAY EMISSION ANALYSIS
052002
440100
664200
WASTE DISPOSAL AND STORAGE
RADIATION INSTRUMENTATION
SPECTRA OF ATOMS AND MOLECULES AND THEIR INTERACTIONS WITH PHOTONS