Real-time radiography, digital radiography, and computed tomography for nonintrusive waste drum characterization
- Lawrence Livermore National Lab., CA (United States)
We are investigating and developing the application of x-ray nondestructive evaluation (NDE) and gamma-ray nondestructive assay (NDA) methods to nonintrusively characterize 208-liter (55-gallon) mixed waste drums. Mixed wastes contain both hazardous and radioactive materials. We are investigating the use of x-ray NDE methods to verify the content of documented waste drums and determine if they can be used to identify hazardous and nonconforming materials. These NDE methods are also being used to help waste certification and hazardous waste management personnel at LLNL to verify/confirm and/or determine the contents of waste. The gamma-ray NDA method is used to identify the intrinsic radioactive source(s) and to accurately quantify its strength. The NDA method may also be able to identify some hazardous materials such as heavy metals. Also, we are exploring techniques to combine both NDE and NDA data sets to yield the maximum information from these nonintrusive, waste-drum characterization methods. In this paper, we report an our x-ray NDE R&D activities, while our gamma-ray NDA activities are reported elsewhere in the proceedings. We have developed a data, acquisition scanner for x-ray NDE real-time radiography (RTR), as well as digital radiography transmission computed tomography (TCT) along with associated computational techniques for image reconstruction, analysis, and display. We are using this scanner and real-waste drums at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL). In this paper, we discuss some issues associated with x-ray imaging, describe the design construction of an inexpensive NDE drum scanner, provide representative DR and TCT results of both mock- and real-waste drums, and end with a summary of our efforts and future directions. The results of these scans reveal that RTR, DR, and CT imaging techniques can be used in concert to provide valuable information about the interior of low-level-, transuranic-, and mock-waste drums without, opening them.
- Research Organization:
- Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-48
- OSTI ID:
- 10173711
- Report Number(s):
- UCRL-JC-115670; CONF-940216-5; ON: DE94016608
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Nondestructive assay and nondestructive examination waste chracterization conference, Pocatello, ID (United States), 14-16 Feb 1994; Other Information: PBD: Jul 1994
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS
NONDESTRUCTIVE ANALYSIS
EVALUATION
CONTAINERS
X-RAY EMISSION ANALYSIS
RADIOACTIVE WASTE STORAGE
IMAGES
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
052002
440100
664200
WASTE DISPOSAL AND STORAGE
RADIATION INSTRUMENTATION
SPECTRA OF ATOMS AND MOLECULES AND THEIR INTERACTIONS WITH PHOTONS