Implementation of linear bias corrections for calorimeters at Mound

Book · Fri Dec 31 04:00:00 EST 1993

OSTI ID:62948

Barnett, T M ^[1]

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1. EG and G Mound Applied Technologies, Miamisburg, OH (United States). Safeguards Measurement Applications

In the past, Mound has generally made relative bias corrections as part of the calibration of individual calorimeters. The correction made was the same over the entire operating range of the calorimeter, regardless of the magnitude of the range. Recently, an investigation was performed to check the relevancy of using linear bias corrections to calibrate the calorimeters. The bias is obtained by measuring calibrated plutonium and/or electrical heat standards over the operating range of the calorimeter. The bias correction is then calculated using a simple least squares fit (y = mx + b) of the bias in milliwatts over the operating range of the calorimeter in watts. The equation used is B{sub i} = B{sub 0} + (B{sub w} * W{sub m}), where B{sub i} is the bias at any given power in milliwatts, B{sub 0} is the intercept (absolute bias in milliwatts), B{sub w} is the slope (relative bias in milliwatts per watt), and W{sub m} is the measured power in watts. The results of the study showed a decrease in the random error of bias corrected data for most of the calorimeters which are operated over a large wattage range (greater than an order of magnitude). The linear technique for bias correction has been fully implemented at Mound and has been included in the Technical Manual, ``A Measurement Control Program for Radiometric Calorimeters at Mound`` (MD-21900).

• DOE Contract Number: AC24-88DP43495
• OSTI ID: 62948
• Report Number(s): CONF-930749--
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

40 CHEMISTRY
44 INSTRUMENTATION
INCLUDING NUCLEAR AND PARTICLE DETECTORS
CALIBRATION
CALORIMETERS
CALORIMETRY
CORRECTIONS
DATA COVARIANCES
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
HEATERS
PLUTONIUM 238
RADIOISOTOPES