Coordinated safeguards for materials management in a nitrate-to-oxide conversion facility

Technical Report · Thu Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 1977

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6773655· OSTI ID:6773655

Dayem, H A; Cobb, D D; Dietz, R J; Hakkila, E A; Kern, E A; Shipley, J P; Smith, D B; Bowersox, D F

The conceptual design of a materials management system for safeguarding special nuclear materials in a plutonium nitrate-to-oxide conversion facility is developed and evaluated. Dynamic material balances are drawn from information provided by nondestructive-analysis techniques, process-control instrumentation, and conventional chemical analyses augmented by process-monitoring devices. Powerful statistical methods, cast in the framework of decision analysis and applied to unit-process accounting areas, ensure adequate spatial and temporal quantification of possible diversion with minimal process disruption. Modeling and simulation techniques assist in evaluating the sensitivity of the system to various diversion schemes and in comparing safeguards strategies. Features that would improve the safeguardability of the conversion process are discussed.

• Research Organization: Los Alamos Scientific Lab., N.Mex. (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-36
• OSTI ID: 6773655
• Report Number(s): LA-7011
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

050400 -- Nuclear Fuels-- Feed Processing
055001* -- Nuclear Fuels-- Safeguards
Inspection
& Accountability-- Technical Aspects
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
98 NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT, SAFEGUARDS, AND PHYSICAL PROTECTION
ACTINIDE COMPOUNDS
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMICAL PREPARATION
CONVERSION
FEED MATERIALS PLANTS
INDUSTRIAL PLANTS
MANAGEMENT
MATERIAL BALANCE
NITRATES
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NUCLEAR FACILITIES
NUCLEAR MATERIALS MANAGEMENT
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PLUTONIUM COMPOUNDS
PLUTONIUM DIOXIDE
PLUTONIUM NITRATES
PLUTONIUM OXIDES
SAFEGUARDS
SYNTHESIS
TRANSURANIUM COMPOUNDS