Safeguards implications related to the use of mixed oxide fuel assemblies in light water reactors

Conference · Wed Apr 01 04:00:00 EST 1987

OSTI ID:6240161

Mangan, D L; Sonnier, C S

Recycled plutonium has been used for the production of FBR and LWR fuel assemblies. These assemblies typically contain approx.1.5 kg (BWR fuel), 4 kg (PWR fuel) and 14 kg (FBR fuel) of plutonium. The safeguarding of this concentration of plutonium requires more frequent verification than that for low enriched uranium fuel. This situation is of particular concern at LWRs which now use mixed oxide (MOX) fuel, or which, in time, will use such fuel. This paper addresses safeguards measures employing Containment and Surveillance (C/S) techniques which are felt to offer the potential of reduced inspection effort while maintaining the current safeguards timeliness goals for fresh MOX fuel assemblies.

• Research Organization: Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC04-76DP00789
• OSTI ID: 6240161
• Report Number(s): SAND-87-1224C; CONF-870519-5; ON: DE87009502
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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