MODEL AND ALGORITHM EVALUATION FOR THE HYBRID UF6 CONTAINER INSPECTION SYSTEM
ABSTRACT Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) is developing an automated UF6 cylinder verification station concept based on the combined collection of traditional enrichment-meter (186 keV photons from U-235) data and non-traditional, neutron-induced, high-energy gamma-signatures (3-8.5 MeV) with an array of collimated, medium-resolution scintillators. Previous (2010) work at PNNL demonstrated proof-of-principle that this hybrid method yields accurate, full-volume assay of the cylinder enrichment, reduces systematic errors when compared to several other enrichment assay methods, and provides simplified instrumentation and algorithms suitable for long-term unattended operations. We used Monte Carlo modeling with MCNP5 to support system design (e.g., number and configuration of detector arrays, and design of iron/poly collimators for enhanced (n,γ) conversion) and enrichment algorithm development. We developed a first-generation modeling framework in 2010. These tools have since been expanded, refined and benchmarked against field measurements with a prototype system of a 30B cylinder population (0.2 to 4.95 weight % U-235). The MCNP5 model decomposes the radiation transport problem into a linear superposition of “basis spectra” representing contributions from the different uranium isotopes and gamma-ray generation mechanisms (e.g. neutron capture). This scheme accommodates fast generation of “virtual assay signatures” for arbitrary enrichment, material age, and fill variations. Ongoing (FY-2011) refinements to the physics model include accounting for generation of bremsstrahlung photons, arising primarily from the beta decay of Pa-234m, a U-238 daughter. We are using the refined model to optimize collimator design for the hybrid method. The traditional assay method benefits from a high degree of collimation (to isolate each detector’s field-of-view) and relatively small detector area, while the non-traditional method benefits from a wide field-of-view, i.e. less collimation and larger detectors. We implement the enrichment-meter method by applying a square-wave digital filter to a raw spectrum and extracting the 186-keV peak area directly from the convolute spectrum. Ongoing enhancements to this approach include mitigating a systematic peak-area measurement deficit arising from curvature in the spectrum continuum shape. An optimized system prototype based on model results is utilized in a new set of 2011 field measurements, and model and measurement enrichment assay uncertainties are compared.
- Research Organization:
- Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC05-76RL01830
- OSTI ID:
- 1059045
- Report Number(s):
- PNNL-SA-80596; NN4009030
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Proceedings of the 52nd Annual Meeting of the Institute of Nuclear Materials Management, July 17-21, 2011, Palm Desert, California, 3:2232-2241
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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