Field testing of UF/sub 6/ cylinder gamma-ray measuring equipment for international safeguards
Two portable intrinsiIAEA (high-purity) Germanium (HP Ge) detectors, a Davidson portable multichannel analyzer (MCA), and accessory equipment were field-tested on product and feed UF/sub 6/ cylinders at the Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant. These latter two instruments were not available to UCC-ND at the time of the field tests were designed to assess the usefulness of the above equipment for safeguards; specifically, each cylinder's average /sup 235/U assay was determined by gamma spectrometry and the results were compared statistically with assays obtained previously by mass spectrometry for the same cylinders. This comparison was pivotal to show that the HP Ge detectors can produce results acceptable statistically, and that they can be used with confidence in field measurements. The portable HP Ge detectors are rugged for field use and are most useful in determining /sup 235/U enrichment in UF/sub 6/ cylinders during international safeguards inspections at enrichment plants. Aside from their high resolution and light weight, they can be stored and transported at ambient temperatures. The latter results in a reduction of storage and handling costs for the IAEA inspector, in comparison with the use of high resolution lithium-drifted Ge detectors. The MCA and the accessory equipment also performed reliably. It is concluded that, although the Davidson portable MCA performed reliably, a higher degree of portability and electronic versatility would be desirable to assist the IAEA inspector in the field. Equipment such as the compact MCA recently developed by Los Alamos National Laboratory and/or the B-SAM developed by Brookhaven National Laboratory do have these features and, as such, would be more useful to the IAEC during field measurements. These field tests, but prototypes are being tried and evaluated by the IAEA inspectorate. At this writing the first commercialunits are being marketed in the US.
- Research Organization:
- Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant, TN (USA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-26
- OSTI ID:
- 5359331
- Report Number(s):
- K/OA-5206; ON: DE82012790
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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