First-year evaluation of a nondestructive assay system for the examination of ORNL TRU waste

Technical Report · Sun Apr 01 04:00:00 EST 1984

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/5041064· OSTI ID:5041064

Schultz, F J; Haff, K W; Coffey, D E; Norris, L B; Caldwell, J T; Close, D A; Kuckertz, T H; Kunz, W E; Pratt, J C

The Oak Ridge National Laboratory has been selected as the demonstration site for a new transuranic neutron assay system (NAS) developed at the Los Alamos National Laboratory. In addition, in order to meet specific ORNL program objectives, an upgraded segmented gamma-ray drum scanner has been integrated into the nondestructive assay (NDA) system to serve as a radioisotope identifier and as a quantitative assay backup to the NAS. A verification study, wherein selected waste drums will be emptied into glove boxes and their contents sampled and subsequently gamma-ray assayed, will take place in FY 1984. Results will be compared to those obtained from the NDA techniques. The NAS uses pulsed-neutron interrogation (differential- dieaway technique) and passive neutron measurements to determine fissile component and an upper-limit estimate of the total TRU activity contained in each waste drum. Of the 171 waste drums assayed to date, nine drums were determined to contain less than 10 nCi/g TRU isotopes. An additional number of drums (approximately 20%) are expected to be categorized as non-TRU, which is presently defined as less than 100 nCi/g TRU concentration. This requires a detailed analysis of the data which includes waste matrix compensation, systematic qualitative and quantitative gamma-ray analyses, and interpretation of neutron multiplicity data. Reproducibility of the active assay measurements on a single waste drum indicate agreement to +-3% relative error. 14 references, 24 figures, 8 tables.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-84OR21400
• OSTI ID: 5041064
• Report Number(s): ORNL-6007; ON: DE84010638
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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CLASSIFICATION
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RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
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