Determining plutonium mass in spent fuel with non-destructive assay techniques - NGSU research overview and update on 6 NDA techniques

Conference · Wed Sep 15 00:00:00 EDT 2010

OSTI ID:1033576

Tobin, Stephen J ^[1]; Conlin, Jeremy L ^[1]; Evans, Louise G ^[1]; Hu, Jianwei ^[1]; Blanc, Pauline C ^[1]; Lafleur, Adrienne M ^[1]; Menlove, Howard O ^[1]; Schear, Melissa A ^[1]; Swinhoe, Martyn T ^[1]; Croft, Stephen ^[1]; Fensin, Michael L ^[1]; Freeman, Corey R ^[1]; Koehler, William E ^[1]; Mozin, V ^[1]; Sandoval, N P ^[1]; Lee, T H ^[2]; Cambell, L W ^[3]; Cheatham, J R ^[4]; Gesh, C J ^[3]; Hunt, A ^[5] ; Ludewigt, B A ^[6]; Smith, L E ^[3]; Sterbentz, J ^[7]

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1. Los Alamos National Laboratory
2. KAERI
3. PNNL
4. ORNL
5. IDAHO STATE UNIV
6. LBNL
7. INL

This poster is one of two complementary posters. The Next Generation Safeguards Initiative (NGSI) of the U.S. DOE has initiated a multi-lab/university collaboration to quantify the plutonium (Pu) mass in, and detect the diversion of pins from, spent nuclear fuel assemblies with non-destructive assay (NDA). This research effort has the goal of quantifying the capability of 14 NDA techniques as well as training a future generation of safeguards practitioners. By November of 2010, we will be 1.5 years into the first phase (2.5 years) of work. This first phase involves primarily Monte Carlo modelling while the second phase (also 2.5 years) will focus on experimental work. The goal of phase one is to quantify the detection capability of the various techniques for the benefit of safeguard technology developers, regulators, and policy makers as well as to determine what integrated techniques merit experimental work, We are considering a wide range of possible technologies since our research horizon is longer term than the focus of most regulator bodies. The capability of all of the NDA techniques will be determined for a library of 64 17 x 17 PWR assemblies [burnups (15, 30, 45, 60 GWd/tU), initial enrichments (2, 3, 4, 5%) and cooling times (1, 5, 20, 80 years)]. The burnup and cooling time were simulated with each fuel pin being comprised of four radial regions. In this paper an overview of the purpose will be given as well as a technical update on the following 6 neutron techniques: {sup 252}Cf Interrogation with Prompt Neutron Detection, Delayed Neutrons, Differential Die-Away, Differential Die-Away Self-Interrogation, Passive Neutron Albedo Reactivity, Self-Integration Neutron Resonance Densitometry. The technical update will quantify the anticipated performance of each technique for the 64 assemblies of the spent fuel library.

• Research Organization: Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: AC52-06NA25396
• OSTI ID: 1033576
• Report Number(s): LA-UR-10-06243; LA-UR-10-6243; TRN: US1200580
• Resource Relation: Conference: Symposium on International Safeguards: Preparing for Future Verification Challenges ; November 1, 2010 ; Vienna, Austria
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
98 NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT, SAFEGUARDS, AND PHYSICAL PROTECTION
ALBEDO
BURNUP
COOLING TIME
DELAYED NEUTRONS
DETECTION
FUEL PINS
NEUTRONS
NONDESTRUCTIVE TESTING
NUCLEAR FUELS
PERFORMANCE
PLUTONIUM
PROMPT NEUTRONS
RESONANCE
SAFEGUARDS
SPENT FUELS
TRAINING
VERIFICATION