Gamma ray scanner systems for nondestructive assay of heterogeneous waste barrels

Conference · Fri Aug 01 04:00:00 EDT 1997

OSTI ID:632722

Martz, H E; Roberson, G P; Decman, D J; Camp, D C ^[1]; Levai, F ^[2]

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1. Lawrence Livermore National Lab., CA (United States)
2. Institute of Nuclear Techniques, Technical University of Budapest (Hungary)

Traditional gamma measurement errors are related to non-uniform measurement responses associated with unknown radioactive source and matrix material distributions. These errors can be reduced by application of tomographic techniques that measure these distributions. LLNL has developed two tomographic-based waste assay systems. They use external radioactive sources and tomography-protocol to map the attenuation within a waste barrel as a function of mono-energetic gamma-ray energy in waste containers. Passive tomography is used to localize and identify specific radioactive waste contents within the same waste containers. Reconstruction of the passive data via the active images allows internal waste radioactivities in a barrel to be corrected for any overlying heterogeneous materials, thus yielding an absolute assay of the waste radioactivities. Calibration of both systems requires only point source measurements and are independent of matrix materials.

• Research Organization: Lawrence Livermore National Lab., CA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management, Washington, DC (United States); U.S.-Hungarian Science and Technology Joint Fund (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-48
• OSTI ID: 632722
• Report Number(s): UCRL-JC--126865-Rev.1; CONF-971031--; ON: DE98050235
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
GAMMA RADIATION
QUALITATIVE CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL
RADIOACTIVE WASTE STORAGE
TANKS
TOMOGRAPHY