A new inventory tracking method for Mark-V electrorefiner

Journal Article · 29 January 2019 · Annals of Nuclear Energy (Oxford)

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anucene.2019.01.008 · OSTI ID:1561225

Yoo, Tae-Sic  ^[1]; Vaden, DeeEarl ^[1]

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1. Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)

Here, we discuss the current practice of assessing the Mark-V electrorefiner inventory and a proposed new way of tracking this inventory. The presented approach only involves the total mass measurement of the transferred materials and the consideration of metallic uranium phase in the inventory while the current practice involves the estimation/calculation of the salt phase mass in the transferred material mass and the calculation of the holdup. Without estimating the involved salt inventory in the incoming and outgoing material streams, the proposed method yields the salt inventory agreeing with the current mass tracking practice. The estimated holdup in the current mass tracking practice is entirely explained with the introduced metallic uranium phase in the proposed model. The current practice of closing out the special nuclear material inventory is revisited with the insight gained from the proposed model. Suggestions are given to achieve the bounded uncertainty of the inventory estimates with the emerging in-situ measurement technique on the molten salt density.

• Research Organization: Idaho National Laboratory (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Nuclear Energy (NE)
• Grant/Contract Number: AC07-05ID14517
• OSTI ID: 1561225
• Report Number(s): INL/JOU-18-45246-Rev000
• Journal Information: Annals of Nuclear Energy (Oxford), Journal Name: Annals of Nuclear Energy (Oxford) Journal Issue: C Vol. 128; ISSN 0306-4549
• Publisher: ElsevierCopyright Statement
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English