Passive nondestructive assay of nuclear materials

Technical Report · Fri Mar 01 00:00:00 EST 1991

OSTI ID:5428834

Reilly, D; Ensslin, N; Smith, H Jr; Kreiner, S ^[1]

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1. eds.; Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States)

The term nondestructive assay (NDA) is applied to a series of measurement techniques for nuclear fuel materials. The techniques measure radiation induced or emitted spontaneously from the nuclear material; the measurements are nondestructive in that they do not alter the physical or chemical state of the nuclear material. NDA techniques are characterized as passive or active depending on whether they measure radiation from the spontaneous decay of the nuclear material or radiation induced by an external source. This book emphasizes passive NDA techniques, although certain active techniques like gamma-ray absorption densitometry and x-ray fluorescence are discussed here because of their intimate relation to passive assay techniques. The principal NDA techniques are classified as gamma-ray assay, neutron assay, and calorimetry. Gamma-ray assay techniques are treated in Chapters 1--10. Neutron assay techniques are the subject of Chapters 11--17. Chapters 11--13 cover the origin of neutrons, neutron interactions, and neutron detectors. Chapters 14--17 cover the theory and applications of total and coincidence neutron counting. Chapter 18 deals with the assay of irradiated nuclear fuel, which uses both gamma-ray and neutron assay techniques. Chapter 19 covers perimeter monitoring, which uses gamma-ray and neutron detectors of high sensitivity to check that no unauthorized nuclear material crosses a facility boundary. The subject of Chapter 20 is attribute and semiquantitative measurements. The goal of these measurements is a rapid verification of the contents of nuclear material containers to assist physical inventory verifications. Waste and holdup measurements are also treated in this chapter. Chapters 21 and 22 cover calorimetry theory and application, and Chapter 23 is a brief application guide to illustrate which techniques can be used to solve certain measurement problems.

• Research Organization: Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC (United States). Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research; Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USNRC; Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-36
• OSTI ID: 5428834
• Report Number(s): NUREG/CR-5550; LA-UR-90-732; ON: TI91016546; ISBN: 0-16-032724-5
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

98 NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT, SAFEGUARDS, AND PHYSICAL PROTECTION
46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
FISSILE MATERIALS
NONDESTRUCTIVE ANALYSIS
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
ACCOUNTING
CALORIMETRY
COINCIDENCE CIRCUITS
COINCIDENCE METHODS
ENRICHMENT
GAMMA DETECTION
GAMMA RADIATION
GAMMA SPECTROSCOPY
MEASURING METHODS
NEUTRON DETECTORS
NUCLEAR FUELS
NUCLEAR MATERIALS MANAGEMENT
PLUTONIUM
RADIATION DETECTORS
RADIATION MONITORS
SAFEGUARDS
URANIUM
X-RAY FLUORESCENCE ANALYSIS
ACTINIDES
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
COUNTING TECHNIQUES
DETECTION
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ELECTRONIC CIRCUITS
ELEMENTS
ENERGY SOURCES
FISSIONABLE MATERIALS
FUELS
IONIZING RADIATIONS
MANAGEMENT
MATERIALS
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
METALS
MONITORS
RADIATION DETECTION
RADIATIONS
REACTOR MATERIALS
SPECTROSCOPY
TRANSURANIUM ELEMENTS
X-RAY EMISSION ANALYSIS
055001* - Nuclear Fuels- Safeguards
Inspection
& Accountability- Technical Aspects
440100 - Radiation Instrumentation