Preliminary concepts for detecting diversion of LWR spent fuel

Conference · Sun Oct 01 04:00:00 EDT 1978

OSTI ID:6702350

Sellers, T A

Sandia Laboratories, under the sponsorship of the Department of Energy, Office of Safeguards and Security, has been developing conceptual designs of advanced systems to rapidly detect diversion of LWR spent fuel. Three detection options have been identified and compared on the basis of timeliness of detection and cost. Option 1 is based upon inspectors visiting each facility on a periodic basis to obtain and review data acquired by surveillance instruments and to verify the inventory. Option 2 is based upon continuous inspector presence, aided by surveillance instruments. Option 3 is based upon the collection of data from surveillance instruments with periodic readout either at the facility or at a remote central monitoring and display module and occasional inspection. Surveillance instruments are included in each option to assure a sufficiently high probability of detection. An analysis technique with an example logic tree that was used to identify performance requirements is described. A conceptual design has been developed for Option 3 and the essential hardware elements are not being developed. These elements include radiation, crane and pool acoustic sensors, a Data Collection Module, a Local Collection Module, a Local Display Module and a Central Monitoring and Display Module. A demonstration, in operating facilities, of the overall system concept is planned for the March to June 1979 time frame.

• Research Organization: Sandia Labs., Albuquerque, NM (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: EY-76-C-04-0789
• OSTI ID: 6702350
• Report Number(s): SAND-78-1628C; CONF-781007-2
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

055001* -- Nuclear Fuels-- Safeguards
Inspection
& Accountability-- Technical Aspects
98 NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT, SAFEGUARDS, AND PHYSICAL PROTECTION
DATA ACQUISITION SYSTEMS
FUEL ELEMENTS
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
NUCLEAR MATERIALS DIVERSION
PERFORMANCE
RADIATION DETECTORS
REACTOR COMPONENTS
REACTORS
SAFEGUARDS
SPENT FUEL ELEMENTS
WATER COOLED REACTORS