Moisture measurement for high-level-waste tanks using copper activation probe in cone penetrometer

Technical Report · Sun Oct 01 04:00:00 EDT 1995

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/119895· OSTI ID:119895

Reeder, P L; Stromswold, D C; Brodzinski, R L; Reeves, J H; Wilson, W E

Laboratory tests have established the feasibility of using neutron activation of copper as a means for measuring the moisture in Hanford`s high-level radioactive waste tanks. The performance of the neutron activation technique to measure moisture is equivalent to the neutron moisture gauges or neutron logs commonly used in commercial well-logging. The principle difference is that the activation of {sup 64}Cu (t{sub 1/2} = 12.7 h) replaces the neutron counters used in moisture gauges or neutron logs. For application to highly radioactive waste tanks, the Cu activation technique has the advantage that it is insensitive to very strong gamma radiation fields or high temperatures. In addition, this technique can be deployed through tortuous paths or in confined spaces such as within the bore of a cone penetrometer. However, the results are not available in ``real-time``. The copper probe`s sensitivity to moisture was measured using simulated tank waste of known moisture content. This report describes the preparation of the simulated waste mixtures and the experiments performed to demonstrate the capabilities of the neutron activation technique. These experiments included determination of the calibration curve of count rate versus moisture content using a single copper probe, measurement of the calibration curve based on ``near-field `` to ``far-field`` counting ratios using a multiple probe technique, and profiling the activity of the copper probe as a function of the vertical height within a simulated waste barrel.

• Research Organization: Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC06-87RL10930; AC06-76RL01830
• OSTI ID: 119895
• Report Number(s): PNL--10837; ON: DE96001812
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

05 NUCLEAR FUELS
40 CHEMISTRY
CALIBRATION
COINCIDENCE METHODS
COPPER 64
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
HANFORD RESERVATION
HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES
MOISTURE
NAI DETECTORS
NEUTRON ACTIVATION ANALYSIS
PROBES
RADIOACTIVE WASTE STORAGE
RADIOACTIVE WASTES