Coordinated safeguards for materials management in a uranium--plutonium nitrate-to-oxide coconversion facility: Coprecal

Technical Report · Thu Feb 01 04:00:00 EST 1979

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6082904· OSTI ID:6082904

Dayem, H A; Cobb, D D; Dietz, R J; Hakkila, E A; Kern, E A; Schelonka, E P; Shipley, J P; Smith, D B

This report describes the conceptual design of an advanced materials-management system for safeguarding special nuclear materials in a uranium--plutonium nitrate-to-oxide coconversion facility based on the Coprecal process. Design concepts are presented for near real-time (dynamic) accountability by forming dynamic materials balances from information provided by chemical and nondestructive analyses and from process-control instrumentation. Modeling and simulation techniques are used to compare the sensitivities of proposed dynamic materials accounting strategies to both abrupt and protracted diversion. The safeguards implications of coconversion as well as some unique features of the reference process are discussed and design criteria are identified to improve the safeguardability of the Coprecal coconversion process.

• Research Organization: Los Alamos Scientific Lab., NM (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-36
• OSTI ID: 6082904
• Report Number(s): LA-7521
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

050800 -- Nuclear Fuels-- Spent Fuels Reprocessing
055001* -- Nuclear Fuels-- Safeguards
Inspection
& Accountability-- Technical Aspects
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
98 NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT, SAFEGUARDS, AND PHYSICAL PROTECTION
ACCOUNTING
ACTINIDE COMPOUNDS
CALCINATION
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CONVERSION
DECOMPOSITION
DESIGN
FUEL REPROCESSING PLANTS
MANAGEMENT
MATERIAL BALANCE
NITRATES
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NUCLEAR FACILITIES
NUCLEAR MATERIALS MANAGEMENT
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PLUTONIUM COMPOUNDS
PLUTONIUM NITRATES
PRECIPITATION
PYROLYSIS
SAFEGUARDS
SEPARATION PROCESSES
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES
TRANSURANIUM COMPOUNDS
URANIUM COMPOUNDS
URANIUM NITRATES