Methods and apparatus for checking uranium contamination in VTGR spherical granules and pins

Journal Article · Wed Dec 31 23:00:00 EST 1986 · Sov. At. Energy (Engl. Transl.); (United States)

OSTI ID:6251405

Bogdanov, N V; Zhavoronko, A I; Kreindlin, I I; Matveev, L V; Strel'chenko, E A; Chernikov, A S; Shtan', A S

To provide automated monitoring of uranium contamination in VTGR granules and pins, a sensitive and fast apparatus is necessary. The author discusses monitoring based on both alpha and beta particles from the decay products. The alpha particle sources are /sup 238/U, /sup 235/U, and /sup 234/U, while the beta particle sources are the decay products from /sup 235/U, namely /sup 231/Th. Since the alpha and beta rays are accompanied by the gamma rays from /sup 235/U, the author maintains that only the beta radiation of energy 200 keV against the background of the gamma rays from the pin core can be isolated reliably, and so it is possible to monitor the bulk contamination with uranium only by using the high-energy beta particles emitted by /sup 234m/Pa. Dependence of alpha particle flux and beta particle flux on uranium content in coating for various /sup 235/U enrichments is shown. The relation between the contamination level and the mean count rate at the output is considered. Errors are examined where the basic components are the statistical, methodological and apparatus errors.

• OSTI ID: 6251405
• Journal Information: Sov. At. Energy (Engl. Transl.); (United States), Journal Name: Sov. At. Energy (Engl. Transl.); (United States) Vol. 61:1; ISSN SATEA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
ACCURACY
ACTINIDE ISOTOPES
ACTINIDE NUCLEI
ACTINIDES
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
ALPHA DETECTION
ALPHA PARTICLES
AUTOMATION
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA DETECTION
BETA PARTICLES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
CARBON
CHALCOGENIDES
CHARGED PARTICLE DETECTION
CHARGED PARTICLES
COATED FUEL PARTICLES
CONTAMINATION
COUNTING RATES
DAUGHTER PRODUCTS
DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
DETECTION
DISTRIBUTION
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ELEMENTAL MINERALS
ELEMENTS
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
FLUX DENSITY
FUEL ELEMENTS
FUEL PARTICLES
FUEL PELLETS
FUEL PINS
GAMMA RADIATION
GRAPHITE
HEAVY NUCLEI
HOURS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
INORGANIC PHOSPHORS
IONIZING RADIATIONS
ISOMERIC TRANSITION ISOTOPES
ISOTOPE RATIO
ISOTOPES
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
METALS
MINERALS
MINUTES LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
MONITORING
MONITORS
NONMETALS
NUCLEI
ODD-ODD NUCLEI
PARTICLE DISCRIMINATION
PARTICLE IDENTIFICATION
PELLETS
PERFORMANCE
PERFORMANCE TESTING
PHOSPHORS
PROTACTINIUM 234
PROTACTINIUM ISOTOPES
RADIATION DETECTION
RADIATION DETECTORS
RADIATION FLUX
RADIATION MONITORING
RADIATION MONITORS
RADIATIONS
RADIOISOTOPES
REACTOR COMPONENTS
RELIABILITY
SCINTILLATION COUNTERS
SOLID SCINTILLATION DETECTORS
SULFIDES
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
TESTING
THORIUM 231
THORIUM 234
THORIUM ISOTOPES
URANIUM
URANIUM 234
URANIUM 235
URANIUM 238
URANIUM ISOTOPES
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
ZINC COMPOUNDS
ZINC SULFIDES