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U.S. Department of Energy
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Application of a Burnup Verification Meter to Actinide-Only Burnup Credit for Spent PWR Fuel

Conference ·
OSTI ID:187230
 [1]
  1. Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

A measurement system to verify reactor records for burnup of spent fuel at pressurized water reactors (PWR) has been developed by Sandia National Laboratories and tested at US nuclear utility sites. The system makes use of the Fork detector designed at Los Alamos National Laboratory for the safeguards program of the International Atomic Energy Agency. A single-point measurement of the neutrons and gamma- rays emitted from a PWR assembly is made at the center plane of the assembly while it is partially raised from its rack in the spent fuel pool. The objective of the measurements is to determine the variation in burnup assignments among a group of assemblies, and to identify anomalous assemblies that might adversely affect nuclear criticality safety. The measurements also provide an internal consistency check for reactor records of cooling time and initial enrichment. The burnup verification system has been proposed for qualifying spent fuel assemblies for loading into containers designed using burnup credit techniques. The system is incorporated in the US Department of Energy's."Topical Report on Actinide-Only Burnup Credit for PWR Spent Nuclear Fuel Packages".

Research Organization:
Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP); Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI)
DOE Contract Number:
AC04-94AL85000
OSTI ID:
187230
Report Number(s):
SAND--95-1962C; CONF-951203--23; ON: DE96003752
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English