Acoustic techniques for localizing holdup

Conference · Sun Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 1996

OSTI ID:379045

Vnuk, D

Material that does not come out of a process as product or waste is called holdup. When this is fissile material, its location and quantity must be determined to improve safeguards and security as well as safety at the facility. The most common method for detecting and measuring holdup is with radiation based techniques. When using them, one must consider equipment geometry, geometry of holdup, and effects of background radiation when converting the radiation measurement into a fissile material quantity. We are developing complementary techniques that use tiny acoustic transducers, which are unaffected by background radiation, to improve holdup measurements by aiding in determining the above conversion factors for holdup measurements. Thus far, we have applied three techniques, Acoustic Interferometry, Pulse Echo, and bending Wave Propagation, of which the latter appears most effective. This paper will describe each of these techniques and show how they may ultimately reduce costs and personnel radiation exposure while increasing confidence I and accuracy of holdup measurements.

• Research Organization: Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-36
• OSTI ID: 379045
• Report Number(s): LA-UR--96-2615; CONF-960767--56; ON: DE96014631
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

05 NUCLEAR FUELS
44 INSTRUMENTATION
INCLUDING NUCLEAR AND PARTICLE DETECTORS
ACOUSTIC MEASUREMENTS
ACOUSTIC TESTING
BACKGROUND RADIATION
BUILDUP
INTERFEROMETRY
MONITORING
NUCLEAR MATERIALS MANAGEMENT
PIPES
PULSE TECHNIQUES
PULSES
SAFEGUARDS
SAFETY
SOUND WAVES
WAVE PROPAGATION