Systems report on the analysis of spent, highly enriched U-235 reactor fuel by delayed neutron interrogation

Technical Report · Tue May 01 00:00:00 EDT 1990

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6776321· OSTI ID:6776321

Piper, T C; Kirkham, R J

Design aspects are briefly given of a neutron source shuffler used to measure fissile material content of spent, highly enriched reactor fuel. The mode of operation used, results of analyzing 176 fuel packages and recommended system improvements are discussed. Four measurements were made on each of the fuel packages with the mean of the 176 standard deviations being 2.03 percent of value. The maximum individual standard deviation was 9.27 percent. Appendixes concerning imprecisions introduced by counting statistics and crane speed irregularities are given. Use of an improved neutron source shuffler, an improved fuel package motion system and modernized computer system should permit system performance to be limited mainly by counting statistics, to about 1.5 percent of measured value. A stronger source could then be installed to further enhance system operation. 16 figs., 3 tabs.

• Research Organization: Westinghouse Idaho Nuclear Co., Inc., Idaho Falls, ID (USA)
• Sponsoring Organization: DOE/NE
• DOE Contract Number: AC07-84ID12435
• OSTI ID: 6776321
• Report Number(s): WINCO-1076; ON: DE90013539; TRN: 90-027823
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
SPENT FUELS
DELAYED NEUTRON ANALYSIS
CALIBRATION
FISSILE MATERIALS
FLUXMETERS
FUEL ELEMENTS
HIGHLY ENRICHED URANIUM
LIMITING VALUES
NEUTRON DETECTORS
NEUTRON SOURCES
NUCLEAR FUELS
REPROCESSING
STATISTICAL DATA
URANIUM 235
ACTINIDE ISOTOPES
ACTINIDE NUCLEI
ACTINIDES
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
DATA
ELEMENTS
ENERGY SOURCES
ENRICHED URANIUM
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
FISSIONABLE MATERIALS
FUELS
HEAVY NUCLEI
INFORMATION
ISOMERIC TRANSITION ISOTOPES
ISOTOPE ENRICHED MATERIALS
ISOTOPES
MATERIALS
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
METALS
MINUTES LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
NONDESTRUCTIVE ANALYSIS
NUCLEAR REACTION ANALYSIS
NUCLEI
NUMERICAL DATA
PARTICLE SOURCES
RADIATION DETECTORS
RADIATION SOURCES
RADIOISOTOPES
REACTOR COMPONENTS
REACTOR MATERIALS
SEPARATION PROCESSES
URANIUM
URANIUM ISOTOPES
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
050800* - Nuclear Fuels- Spent Fuels Reprocessing