Isotope correlations for safeguards surveillance and accountancy methods

Conference · Sat Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1983

OSTI ID:6405380

Persiani, P J; Kalimullah,

Isotope correlations corroborated by experiments, coupled with measurement methods for nuclear material in the fuel cycle have the potential as a safeguards surveillance and accountancy system. The US/DOE/OSS Isotope Correlations for Surveillance and Accountancy Methods (ICSAM) program has been structured into three phases: (1) the analytical development of Isotope Correlation Technique (ICT) for actual power reactor fuel cycles; (2) the development of a dedicated portable ICT computer system for in-field implementation, and (3) the experimental program for measurement of U, Pu isotopics in representative spent fuel-rods of the initial 3 or 4 burnup cycles of the Commonwealth Edison Zion -1 and -2 PWR power plants. Since any particular correlation could generate different curves depending upon the type and positioning of the fuel assembly, a 3-D reactor model and 2-group cross section depletion calculation for the first cycle of the ZION-2 was performed with each fuel assembly as a depletion block. It is found that for a given PWR all assemblies with a unique combination of enrichment zone and number of burnable poison rods (BPRs) generate one coincident curve. Some correlations are found to generate a single curve for assemblies of all enrichments and number of BPRs. The 8 axial segments of the 3-D calculation generate one coincident curve for each correlation. For some correlations the curve for the full assembly homogenized over core-height deviates from the curve for the 8 axial segments, and for other correlations coincides with the curve for the segments. The former behavior is primarily based on the transmutation lag between the end segment and the middle segments. The experimental implication is that the isotope correlations exhibiting this behavior can be determined by dissolving a full assembly but not by dissolving only an axial segment, or pellets.

• Research Organization: Argonne National Lab., IL (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: W-31109-ENG-38
• OSTI ID: 6405380
• Report Number(s): CONF-830423-1; ON: DE83007749
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

055001* -- Nuclear Fuels-- Safeguards
Inspection
& Accountability-- Technical Aspects
98 NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT, SAFEGUARDS, AND PHYSICAL PROTECTION
ACCOUNTING
CORRELATIONS
ENERGY SOURCES
FUEL CYCLE
FUELS
ISOTOPE RATIO
MANAGEMENT
MATERIALS
NUCLEAR FUELS
NUCLEAR MATERIALS MANAGEMENT
PWR TYPE REACTORS
REACTOR MATERIALS
REACTORS
SAFEGUARDS
SPENT FUELS
SURVEILLANCE
WATER COOLED REACTORS
WATER MODERATED REACTORS