Estimating plutonium content and isotope composition for spent VVER reactor fuel by alpha and gamma spectrometry and from isotope correlations
The authors study some correlations that enable one to use alpha and gamma spectroscopy in order to determine plutonium isotope compositions and burnup in spent VVER fuel. In the case of alpha spectroscopy, one can use correlations based on the ratios of the plutonium isotopes and the ratio of the alpha activities Pu 238/Pu 239 + 240. Correlations between Pu 242/Pu 239 mass ratio and the alpha activity ratio with the expression Pu 238/Pu 239 enable one to determine the Pu 242 content by gamma spectroscopy. The specific alpha activity of the sum of Pu 239 and Pu 240 is not correlated with the burnup for values greater than 15 kg/t U, which enables one to determine the mass proportion of plutonium in spent VVER fuel with a relative error of 2-3%.
- OSTI ID:
- 5484373
- Journal Information:
- Sov. Radiochem. (Engl. Transl.); (United States), Journal Name: Sov. Radiochem. (Engl. Transl.); (United States) Vol. 27:5; ISSN SVRDA
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
ACCURACY
ACTINIDE ISOTOPES
ACTINIDE NUCLEI
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
ALPHA SPECTROSCOPY
BURNUP
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
CORRELATIONS
ENERGY SOURCES
ENRICHED URANIUM REACTORS
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
FUELS
GAMMA SPECTROSCOPY
HEAVY NUCLEI
ISOTOPE RATIO
ISOTOPES
MASS SPECTROSCOPY
MATERIALS
NUCLEAR FUELS
NUCLEI
PLUTONIUM 238
PLUTONIUM 239
PLUTONIUM 240
PLUTONIUM 242
PLUTONIUM ISOTOPES
POST-IRRADIATION EXAMINATION
PWR TYPE REACTORS
QUANTITATIVE CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
RADIOCHEMICAL ANALYSIS
RADIOISOTOPES
REACTOR MATERIALS
REACTORS
SPECTROSCOPY
SPENT FUELS
THERMAL REACTORS
WATER COOLED REACTORS
WATER MODERATED REACTORS
WWER TYPE REACTORS
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES