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Title: The Blend Down Monitoring System Demonstration at the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant

Abstract

Agreements between the governments of the US and the Russian Federation for the US purchase of low enriched uranium (LEU) derived from highly enriched uranium (HEU) from dismantled Russian nuclear weapons calls for the establishment of transparency measures to provide confidence that nuclear nonproliferation goals are being met. To meet these transparency goals, the agreements call for the installation of nonintrusive US instruments to monitor the down blending of HEU to LEU. The Blend Down Monitoring System (BDMS) has been jointly developed by the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) and the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) to continuously monitor {sup 235}U enrichments and mass flow rates at Russian blending facilities. Prior to its installation in Russian facilities, the BDMS was installed and operated in a UF{sub 6} flow loop in the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant simulating flow and enrichment conditions expected in a typical down-blending facility. A Russian delegation to the US witnessed the equipment demonstration in June, 1998. To conduct the demonstration in the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant (PGDP), the BDMS was required to meet stringent Nuclear Regulatory Commission licensing, safety and operational requirements. The Paducah demonstration was an important milestone in achieving the operational certification for the BDMSmore » use in Russian facilities.« less

Authors:
; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Nonproliferation and National Security (NN) (US)
OSTI Identifier:
9239
Report Number(s):
ORNL/CP-103793
TRN: US0102768
DOE Contract Number:  
AC05-96OR22464
Resource Type:
Conference
Resource Relation:
Conference: Institute of Nuclear Materials Management Meeting, Phoenix, AZ (US), 07/25/1999--07/29/1999; Other Information: PBD: 25 Jul 1999
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; 98 NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT, SAFEGUARDS, AND PHYSICAL PROTECTION; SLIGHTLY ENRICHED URANIUM; HIGHLY ENRICHED URANIUM; RADIATION MONITORS; ON-LINE MEASUREMENT SYSTEMS; NUCLEAR MATERIALS MANAGEMENT; RUSSIAN FEDERATION; USA; INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION; MIXING; PERFORMANCE TESTING; HEU TRANSPARENCY PROGRAM

Citation Formats

Benton, J, Close, D, Johnson, W., Jr., Kerr, P, March-Leuba, J, Mastal, E, Moss, C, Powell, D, Sumner, J, Uckan, T, Vines, R, and Wright, P D. The Blend Down Monitoring System Demonstration at the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant. United States: N. p., 1999. Web.
Benton, J, Close, D, Johnson, W., Jr., Kerr, P, March-Leuba, J, Mastal, E, Moss, C, Powell, D, Sumner, J, Uckan, T, Vines, R, & Wright, P D. The Blend Down Monitoring System Demonstration at the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant. United States.
Benton, J, Close, D, Johnson, W., Jr., Kerr, P, March-Leuba, J, Mastal, E, Moss, C, Powell, D, Sumner, J, Uckan, T, Vines, R, and Wright, P D. 1999. "The Blend Down Monitoring System Demonstration at the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/9239.
@article{osti_9239,
title = {The Blend Down Monitoring System Demonstration at the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant},
author = {Benton, J and Close, D and Johnson, W., Jr. and Kerr, P and March-Leuba, J and Mastal, E and Moss, C and Powell, D and Sumner, J and Uckan, T and Vines, R and Wright, P D},
abstractNote = {Agreements between the governments of the US and the Russian Federation for the US purchase of low enriched uranium (LEU) derived from highly enriched uranium (HEU) from dismantled Russian nuclear weapons calls for the establishment of transparency measures to provide confidence that nuclear nonproliferation goals are being met. To meet these transparency goals, the agreements call for the installation of nonintrusive US instruments to monitor the down blending of HEU to LEU. The Blend Down Monitoring System (BDMS) has been jointly developed by the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) and the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) to continuously monitor {sup 235}U enrichments and mass flow rates at Russian blending facilities. Prior to its installation in Russian facilities, the BDMS was installed and operated in a UF{sub 6} flow loop in the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant simulating flow and enrichment conditions expected in a typical down-blending facility. A Russian delegation to the US witnessed the equipment demonstration in June, 1998. To conduct the demonstration in the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant (PGDP), the BDMS was required to meet stringent Nuclear Regulatory Commission licensing, safety and operational requirements. The Paducah demonstration was an important milestone in achieving the operational certification for the BDMS use in Russian facilities.},
doi = {},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/9239}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Sun Jul 25 00:00:00 EDT 1999},
month = {Sun Jul 25 00:00:00 EDT 1999}
}

Conference:
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