In-Situ Safeguards Verification of Low Burn-up Pressurized Water Reactor Spent Fuel Assemblies
A novel in-situ gross defect verification method for light water reactor spent fuel assemblies was developed and investigated by a Monte Carlo study. This particular method is particularly effective for old pressurized water reactor spent fuel assemblies that have natural uranium in their upper fuel zones. Currently there is no method or instrument that does verification of this type of spent fuel assemblies without moving the spent fuel assemblies from their storage positions. The proposed method uses a tiny neutron detector and a detector guiding system to collect neutron signals inside PWR spent fuel assemblies through guide tubes present in PWR assemblies. The data obtained in such a manner are used for gross defect verification of spent fuel assemblies. The method uses 'calibration curves' which show the expected neutron counts inside one of the guide tubes of spent fuel assemblies as a function of fuel burn-up. By examining the measured data in the 'calibration curves', the consistency of the operator's declaration is verified.
- Research Organization:
- Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-48
- OSTI ID:
- 936988
- Report Number(s):
- LLNL-CONF-403070; TRN: US0806153
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Presented at: 8th International Conference on Facilities Operations - Safeguards Interface, Portland, OR, United States, Mar 30 - Apr 04, 2008
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Experimental Validation of the Methodology for Partial Defect Verification of the Pressurized Water Reactor Spent Fuel Assemblies
Development of a Safeguards Verification Method and Instrument to Detect Pin Diversion from Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) Spent Fuel Assemblies Phase I Study