System for nondestructive assay of spent fuel subassemblies: comparison of calculations and measurements

Conference · Mon Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1979

OSTI ID:5902260

Ragan, G. L; Ricker, C. W.; Chiles, M. M.; Ingersoll, D. T.; Slaughter, G. G.; Williams, L. R.

A nondestructive assay system was developed for determining the total fissile content of spent fuel subassemblies at the head end of a reprocessing plant. The system can perform an assay in 20 min with an uncertainty of <5%. Antimony-beryllium neutrons interrogate the subassemblies, and proton recoil counters detect the resulting fission neutrons. Pulse-height discrimination differentiates between the low-energy interrogation neutrons and the higher-energy fission neutrons. Calculated and measured results were compared for (1) interrogation-neutron penetrability, (2) fission-neutron detectability, (3) radial variation of assay sensitivity, (4) axial variation of assay sensitivity, and (5) the variation of detector count rate as a function of the number of fuel rods in a special 61-rod, LMFBR-type subassembly.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-26
• OSTI ID: 5902260
• Report Number(s): CONF-791117-3
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

055001* -- Nuclear Fuels-- Safeguards
Inspection
&amp; Accountability-- Technical Aspects
98 NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT, SAFEGUARDS, AND PHYSICAL PROTECTION
ACCOUNTING
BARYONS
BREEDER REACTORS
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
DETECTION
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
EPITHERMAL REACTORS
FAST REACTORS
FBR TYPE REACTORS
FERMIONS
FISSILE MATERIALS
FISSION NEUTRONS
FISSIONABLE MATERIALS
FUEL ASSEMBLIES
FUEL ELEMENTS
FUEL REPROCESSING PLANTS
FUEL RODS
HADRONS
HEAD END PROCESSES
LIQUID METAL COOLED REACTORS
LMFBR TYPE REACTORS
MANAGEMENT
NEUTRON DETECTION
NEUTRONS
NONDESTRUCTIVE ANALYSIS
NUCLEAR FACILITIES
NUCLEONS
PERFORMANCE
RADIATION DETECTION
REACTOR COMPONENTS
REACTORS
SENSITIVITY
SPENT FUEL ELEMENTS