Nondestructive assay of spent fuel for determination of residual fissile content

Conference · · Nucl. Mater. Manage.; (United States)

OSTI ID:7247218

Gozani, T

A study to determine the feasibility of nondestructive assay (NDA) for residual fissile content in spent fuel assembly was conducted. The conclusion is that a direct NDA of LWR spent fuel assemblies is indeed feasible. The technique is based on inducing fissions in the material and the detection of the former by measurements of the prompt and possibly delayed neutrons. In order to achieve the latter, the fission inducing source has to be removed. Two isotopic sources are readily available with the required intensities--/sup 252/Cf and /sup 124/Sb-Be. For the prompt-neutron technique, less than 100 ..mu..g of /sup 252/Cf or 10 Ci of /sup 124/Sb-Be will be needed. For the delayed neutrons, because of the much poorer signal to background, sources a hundred times stronger are required. Typical measuring time for a LWR assembly would be a couple of hours and the estimated measurement error--mostly due to neutron self-shielding--could be less than 5 percent.

• Research Organization: Science Applications, Inc., Palo Alto, CA
• OSTI ID: 7247218
• Conference Information: Journal Name: Nucl. Mater. Manage.; (United States) Journal Volume: 5:3
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

055001* -- Nuclear Fuels-- Safeguards
Inspection
& Accountability-- Technical Aspects
37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
400103 -- Radiometric & Radiochemical Procedures-- (-1987)
98 NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT, SAFEGUARDS, AND PHYSICAL PROTECTION
ACTINIDE ISOTOPES
ACTINIDE NUCLEI
ALKALINE EARTH METALS
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
ANTIMONY 124
ANTIMONY ISOTOPES
BARYONS
BERYLLIUM
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
CALIFORNIUM 252
CALIFORNIUM ISOTOPES
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
DELAYED NEUTRONS
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
ELEMENTS
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
FEASIBILITY STUDIES
FERMIONS
FISSILE MATERIALS
FISSION NEUTRONS
FISSIONABLE MATERIALS
FUEL ASSEMBLIES
FUEL ELEMENTS
HADRONS
HEAVY NUCLEI
INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI
INTERNAL CONVERSION RADIOISOTOPES
ISOMERIC TRANSITION ISOTOPES
ISOTOPES
METALS
MINUTES LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
NEUTRON DETECTION
NEUTRON SOURCES
NEUTRONS
NONDESTRUCTIVE ANALYSIS
NUCLEI
NUCLEONS
ODD-ODD NUCLEI
PARTICLE SOURCES
PROMPT NEUTRONS
RADIATION DETECTION
RADIATION SOURCES
RADIOISOTOPES
REACTOR COMPONENTS
REACTORS
SPENT FUEL ELEMENTS
WATER COOLED REACTORS
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES