Method and apparatus for measuring irradiated fuel profiles
Abstract
A new apparatus is used to substantially instantaneously obtain a profile of an object, for example a spent fuel assembly, which profile (when normalized) has unexpectedly been found to be substantially identical to the normalized profile of the burnup monitor Cs-137 obtained with a germanium detector. That profile can be used without normalization in a new method of identifying and monitoring in order to determine for example whether any of the fuel has been removed. Alternatively, two other new methods involve calibrating that profile so as to obtain a determination of fuel burnup (which is important for complying with safeguards requirements, for utilizing fuel to an optimal extent, and for storing spent fuel in a minimal amount of space).
- Inventors:
- Issue Date:
- OSTI Identifier:
- 6648264
- Assignee:
- Dept. of Energy
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-36
- Resource Type:
- Patent
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY; 21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS; GE SEMICONDUCTOR DETECTORS; GAMMA FUEL SCANNING; SPENT FUEL ELEMENTS; BURNUP; CESIUM 137; NUCLEAR MATERIALS MANAGEMENT; SAFEGUARDS; ALKALI METAL ISOTOPES; BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES; BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES; CESIUM ISOTOPES; FUEL ELEMENTS; FUEL SCANNING; GAMMA RADIOGRAPHY; INDUSTRIAL RADIOGRAPHY; ISOTOPES; MANAGEMENT; MEASURING INSTRUMENTS; NUCLEI; ODD-EVEN NUCLEI; RADIATION DETECTORS; RADIOISOTOPES; REACTOR COMPONENTS; SEMICONDUCTOR DETECTORS; YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES; 440101* - Radiation Instrumentation- General Detectors or Monitors & Radiometric Instruments; 210300 - Power Reactors, Nonbreeding, Graphite Moderated
Citation Formats
Lee, D M. Method and apparatus for measuring irradiated fuel profiles. United States: N. p., 1980.
Web.
Lee, D M. Method and apparatus for measuring irradiated fuel profiles. United States.
Lee, D M. Thu .
"Method and apparatus for measuring irradiated fuel profiles". United States.
@article{osti_6648264,
title = {Method and apparatus for measuring irradiated fuel profiles},
author = {Lee, D M},
abstractNote = {A new apparatus is used to substantially instantaneously obtain a profile of an object, for example a spent fuel assembly, which profile (when normalized) has unexpectedly been found to be substantially identical to the normalized profile of the burnup monitor Cs-137 obtained with a germanium detector. That profile can be used without normalization in a new method of identifying and monitoring in order to determine for example whether any of the fuel has been removed. Alternatively, two other new methods involve calibrating that profile so as to obtain a determination of fuel burnup (which is important for complying with safeguards requirements, for utilizing fuel to an optimal extent, and for storing spent fuel in a minimal amount of space).},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Thu Mar 27 00:00:00 EST 1980},
month = {Thu Mar 27 00:00:00 EST 1980}
}