Characterization of the neutron source term and multiplicity of a spent fuel assembly in support of NSDA safeguards of spent nuclear fuel
- Los Alamos National Laboratory
- UNIV OF FL.
The gross neutron signal (GNS) is being considered as part of a fingerprinting or neutron balance approach to safeguards of spent nuclear fuel (SNF). Because the GNS is composed of many derivative components, understanding the time-dependent contribution of these derivative components is crucial to gauging the limitations of these approaches. The major components of the GNS are ({alpha}, n), spontaneous fission (SF), and multiplication neutrons. A methodology was developed to link MCNPX burnup output files to SOURCES4C input files for the purpose of automatically generating both the ({alpha}, n) and SF signals. Additional linking capabilities were developed to write MCNPX multiplication input files using the data obtained from the SOURCES4C output files. In this paper, the following are presented: (1) the relative contributions by source nuclide to the ({alpha}, n) signal as a function of initial enrichment/burnup/cooling time; (2) the relative contributions by source nuclide to the SF signal as a function of initial enrichment/burnup/cooling time; (3) the relative contributions by reaction type ({alpha},n vs. SF) to the GNS; and (4) the multiplication of the GNS as a function of initial enrichment/burnup/cooling time/counting environment. By developing these technologies to characterize the GNS, we can better evaluate the viability of the GNS fingerprint and neutron balance concepts for SNF.
- Research Organization:
- Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC52-06NA25396
- OSTI ID:
- 1018695
- Report Number(s):
- LA-UR-10-03927; LA-UR-10-3927; TRN: US1103441
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: INMM 51st Annual Meeting ; July 11, 2010 ; Baltimore, MD
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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