The Application of International Safeguards to Fast Critical Assembly Facilities (FY1980 Summary Report)

Technical Report · Mon Dec 01 00:00:00 EST 1980

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6690766· OSTI ID:6690766

Amundson, P. I. ^[1]; McCarthy, P. B. ^[1]; Brumbach, S. B. ^[1]; Sholeen, C. M. ^[1]; Roche, C. T. ^[1]; Perry, R. B. ^[1]

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1. Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)

Nuclear materials inventory-verification techniques for large split-table fast critical assemblies are being studied in this program. Emphasis has been given to techniques that minimize fuel handling in order to reduce facility downtime and radiation exposure to the inventory team. The techniques studied include drawer seals, autoradiography, and spectral index measurements. Two-drawer sealing techniques have been studied, and the relative strengths and weaknesses are pointed out. The rod-type locking mechanism would not disrupt the reactor cooling air flow or interfere with autoradiography but is more expensive to implement. Passive autoradiography was used in a ZPPR inventory to verify to a 93% confidence level that less than 8-kg Pu was missing. The inventory was completed in four days by a five-member team with t radiation exposures well within acceptable limits. Two autoradiographic film packages were developed to distinguish HEU from a DU matrix. The 30-mil pack requires an exposure between 4 and 16 hours and fits into most of the drawers. The 40-mil pack requires only a two-hour exposure but fits into less than half the drawers.

• Research Organization: Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)
• DOE Contract Number: W-31-109-ENG-38
• OSTI ID: 6690766
• Report Number(s): ANL-80-129; TRN: 81-002920
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

98 NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT, SAFEGUARDS, AND PHYSICAL PROTECTION
21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
ENRICHED URANIUM
INVENTORIES
FAST REACTORS
IAEA SAFEGUARDS
PLUTONIUM
ZERO POWER REACTORS
ZPPR REACTOR
AUTORADIOGRAPHY
DETECTION
FUEL PLATES
NONDESTRUCTIVE ANALYSIS
NUCLEAR MATERIALS DIVERSION
SECURITY SEALS
ACTINIDES
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
ELEMENTS
EPITHERMAL REACTORS
EXPERIMENTAL REACTORS
FUEL ELEMENTS
ISOTOPE ENRICHED MATERIALS
MATERIALS
METALS
PHYSICAL PROTECTION DEVICES
REACTOR COMPONENTS
REACTORS
RESEARCH AND TEST REACTORS
RESEARCH REACTORS
SAFEGUARDS
SEALS
TRANSURANIUM ELEMENTS
URANIUM
Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)
ZPPR
Autoradiography
Fuel Handling
Radiation Exposure
Reactor Cooling
055001* - Nuclear Fuels- Safeguards
Inspection
& Accountability- Technical Aspects
220600 - Nuclear Reactor Technology- Research
Test & Experimental Reactors