Composite waste analysis system

Conference · Fri Dec 31 04:00:00 EST 1993

OSTI ID:61467

Wachter, J R; Hagan, R C; Bonner, C A; Malcom, J E; Camp, K L ^[1]

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1. Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States). Nuclear Materials Technology Div.

Nondestructive analysis (NDA) of radioactive waste forms an integral component of nuclear materials accountability programs and waste characterization acceptance criterion. However, waste measurements are often complicated by unknown isotopic compositions and the potential for concealment of special nuclear materials in a manner that is transparent to gamma-ray measurement instruments. To overcome these complications, a new NDA measurement system has been developed to assay special nuclear material in both transuranic and low level waste from the same measurement platform. The system incorporates a NaI detector and customized commercial software routines to measure small quantities of radioactive material in low level waste. Transuranic waste analysis is performed with a coaxial HPGe detector and uses upgraded PC-based segmented gamma scanner software to assay containers up to 55 gal. in volume. Gamma-ray isotopics analysis of both waste forms is also performed with this detector. Finally, a small neutron counter using specialized software is attached to the measurement platform to satisfy safeguards concerns related to nuclear materials that are not sensed by the gamma-ray instruments. This report describes important features and capabilities of the system and presents a series of test measurements that are to be performed to define system parameters.

• OSTI ID: 61467
• Report Number(s): CONF-930749--
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

05 NUCLEAR FUELS
ALPHA-BEARING WASTES
AMERICIUM 241
COMPUTERIZED CONTROL SYSTEMS
CONTAINERS
DESIGN
GAMMA DETECTION
HIGH-PURITY GE DETECTORS
LOW-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES
NAI DETECTORS
NEUTRON DETECTORS
NONDESTRUCTIVE ANALYSIS
NUCLEAR MATERIALS MANAGEMENT
PERFORMANCE
PLUTONIUM 238
PLUTONIUM 239
RADIOISOTOPE SCANNERS
RADIOISOTOPE SCANNING
RADIOMETRIC ANALYSIS
URANIUM 235