Installation and operation of the VACOSS-MIVS Interface System at the THTR (Thorium High-Temperature Reactor) facility

Conference · Mon Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1990

OSTI ID:6855353

Richter, B; Stein, G ^[1]; Martinez, R L; Schneider, S L ^[2]; Heske, M; Stratmann, H ^[3]; Gartner, K J; Ammann, P ^[4]; Janssens, J; Terrasi, A ^[5]

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1. Forschungszentrum Juelich GmbH (Germany, F.R.)
2. Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (USA)
3. Hochtemperatur-Kernkraftwerk GmbH (HKG), Hamm (Germany, F.R.)
4. International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna (Austria)
5. Commission of the European Communities, Luxembourg (

The VACOSS-MIVS-Interface System is a joint development undertaken by Sandia National Laboratories Albuquerque and KFA Forschungszentrum Julich /1,2/. It integrates two existing containment and surveillance technologies into one system with new operational capabilities, with the major objective being to reduce inspection effort while maintaining necessary and sufficient international safeguards assurance. In the absence of a safeguards inspector, the VACOSS-S seal could be handled by a facility operator, while the seal's installation or removal is recorded on video automatically. The recordings include both the scene and the data extracted from the seal. In April 1989, spent fuel was shipped from VAK, Kahl to WAK, Karlsruhe. The VACOSS-MIVS Interface System was successfully field-tested during the cask shipment at VAK and the cask receipt at WAK /3/. Procedural, functional, and design observations were made during that test which were used to improve the system in anticipation of a potential safeguards application. Depending upon the final field test results and the safeguards approach, a first application of the VACOSS-MIVS-Interface System may occur in the Thorium High-Temperature Reactor power plant in the Federal Republic of Germany, where it is intended to ship spent fuel for long-term intermediate storage. The transport and storage of CASTOR casks is designed for sealing the secondary lid with a VACOSS-S electronic seal. In anticipation of safeguards implementation, the THTR facility operator, the safeguards inspectorates of IAEA and Euratom, KFA Julich, and Sandia agreed upon a joint field test of a three-month duration, which started in March 1990. The paper describes this field test, discusses the results and the conclusions. 3 refs., 6 figs.

• Research Organization: Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (USA)
• Sponsoring Organization: DOE/DP
• DOE Contract Number: AC04-76DP00789
• OSTI ID: 6855353
• Report Number(s): SAND-90-0774C; CONF-9007106-21; ON: DE90013807
• Resource Relation: Conference: Institute of nuclear materials management conference, Los Angeles, CA (USA), 15-18 Jul 1990
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

98 NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT, SAFEGUARDS, AND PHYSICAL PROTECTION
NUCLEAR FACILITIES
IAEA SAFEGUARDS
CAMERAS
CONTAINMENT
DESIGN
DISPLAY DEVICES
EQUIPMENT INTERFACES
FIBER OPTICS
IMPLEMENTATION
INSTALLATION
MODIFICATIONS
NUCLEAR MATERIALS MANAGEMENT
PERFORMANCE TESTING
RECORDING SYSTEMS
SECURITY SEALS
SPENT FUELS
SURVEILLANCE
VIDEO TAPES
COMPUTER OUTPUT DEVICES
COMPUTER-GRAPHICS DEVICES
ENERGY SOURCES
FUELS
MAGNETIC STORAGE DEVICES
MAGNETIC TAPES
MANAGEMENT
MATERIALS
MEMORY DEVICES
NUCLEAR FUELS
PHYSICAL PROTECTION DEVICES
REACTOR MATERIALS
SAFEGUARDS
SEALS
TESTING
055000* - Nuclear Fuels- Safeguards
Inspection
& Accountability