Nineteenth nuclear accident dosimetry intercomparison study, August 9-13, 1982

Technical Report · Tue Nov 01 00:00:00 EST 1983

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/5454056· OSTI ID:5454056

Greene, R. T.; Sims, C. C.; Swaja, R. E.

The Nineteenth Nuclear Accident Dosimetry Intercomparison Study was held August 9 to 13, 1982, at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory using the Health Physics Research Reactor operated in the pulse mode to simulate nuclear criticality accidents. Participants from eight organizations measured neutron and gamma doses at air stations and on phantoms for three different shielding conditions. Measured results were compared to nuclear industry guidelines for criticality accident dosimeters which suggest accuracies of +-25% for neutron dose and +-20% for gamma dose. Seventy-two percent of the neutron dose measurements using foil activation, sodium activation, hair sulfur activation, and thermoluminescent methods met the guidelines while less than 40% of the gamma dose measurements were within +-20% of reference values. The softest neutron energy spectrum (also lowest neutron/gamma dose ratio) provided the most difficulty in measuring neutron and gamma doses. Results of this study indicate the need for continued intercomparison and testing of nuclear accident dosimetry systems and for training of evaluating personnel. 14 references, 7 figures, 16 tables.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-26
• OSTI ID: 5454056
• Report Number(s): ORNL/TM-8698; ON: DE84004595
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

61 RADIATION PROTECTION AND DOSIMETRY
655003* -- Medical Physics-- Dosimetry
ACCIDENTS
ACCURACY
ACTIVATION DETECTORS
AIR COOLED REACTORS
BIOLOGICAL SHIELDING
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
COORDINATED RESEARCH PROGRAMS
CRITICALITY
DATA
DOSEMETERS
DOSES
DOSIMETRY
ENRICHED URANIUM REACTORS
EPITHERMAL REACTORS
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FAST REACTORS
GAMMA DOSIMETRY
GAS COOLED REACTORS
HPRR REACTOR
INFORMATION
LUMINESCENT DOSEMETERS
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
MOCKUP
NEUTRON DETECTORS
NEUTRON DOSIMETRY
NUMERICAL DATA
Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)
PHANTOMS
PULSED REACTORS
RADIATION ACCIDENTS
RADIATION DETECTORS
RADIATION DOSES
REACTORS
RESEARCH AND TEST REACTORS
RESEARCH PROGRAMS
RESEARCH REACTORS
SHIELDING
STRUCTURAL MODELS
THERMOLUMINESCENT DOSEMETERS