DOE PAGES title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: A Review of Online Monitoring within Used Nuclear Fuel Recycling Processes

Journal Article · · Solvent Extraction and Ion Exchange

The processing of used nuclear fuels and related materials is often complex and variable. The ability to quickly optimize conditions to the material being processed can aid in increasing efficiency and safety, but requires very quick determination of the conditions present in the feedstock, the process, and the product. Furthermore, accurate quantification of materials such as enriched uranium and plutonium aids in maintaining material accountancy and avoiding nuclear proliferation risks. Traditional analytical methods require process samples to be collected and analyzed in a laboratory, which often takes days to weeks. Online monitoring is suitable for collecting this information nearly instantaneously, enabling much faster optimization of the process or detection of material diversion. Online monitoring is also beneficial as it is typically based on robust and nondestructive analytical methods, so no material is removed as samples. This review examines online monitoring relevant to used nuclear fuel processing for the determination of both chemical and physical parameters. The chemical parameters include quantities such as concentration, isotopic composition, and speciation. These values are often well suited to spectroscopic or spectrometric measurements as they are fast, nondestructive, and easily implemented in an online manner. Physical quantities are often more varied and include temperature, pressure, tank fill levels, and others. Due to the specificity of these quantities, specialized instrumentation is often used. However, this instrumentation is often amendable to online monitoring.

Research Organization:
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC05-76RL01830
OSTI ID:
2475143
Report Number(s):
PNNL-SA--197799
Journal Information:
Solvent Extraction and Ion Exchange, Journal Name: Solvent Extraction and Ion Exchange Journal Issue: 5 Vol. 42; ISSN 0736-6299
Publisher:
Taylor and FrancisCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

References (86)

Time dependence of pressure in a bubbler tube journal November 1982
The differential viscometer. II. On‐line viscosity detector for size‐exclusion chromatography journal July 1985
Electrochemistry and Spectroelectrochemistry of the Pu (III/IV) and (IV/VI) Couples in Nitric Acid Systems journal September 2017
UV–Vis spectroscopy with chemometric data treatment: an option for on-line control in nuclear industry journal April 2017
Plutonium(IV) quantification in acidic process solutions using partial least-squares regression applied to UV–Vis spectrophotometry journal February 2022
An instrument for on-line monitoring of tritium-in-air in heavy water reactors
  • Singh, A. N.; Rathnakaran, M.
  • Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment, Vol. 258, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1016/0168-9002(87)90065-9
journal August 1987
Principal component analysis journal August 1987
The Nuclear Fuel Cycle book January 1995
Developments in gamma scanning irradiated nuclear fuel journal October 1997
Review of on-line and near real-time spectroscopic monitoring of processes relevant to nuclear material management journal April 2020
Nuclear power, climate change and energy security: Exploring British public attitudes journal September 2011
Design and use of an online drilling fluid pipe viscometer journal October 2022
Cell design for laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy measurements on reactive gas samples journal March 2022
Proof of concept simulations of the Multi-Isotope Process monitor: An online, nondestructive, near-real-time safeguards monitor for nuclear fuel reprocessing facilities
  • Orton, Christopher R.; Fraga, Carlos G.; Christensen, Richard N.
  • Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment, Vol. 629, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2010.10.024
journal February 2011
Proof of concept experiments of the multi-isotope process monitor: An online, nondestructive, near real-time monitor for spent nuclear fuel reprocessing facilities
  • Orton, Christopher R.; Fraga, Carlos G.; Christensen, Richard N.
  • Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment, Vol. 672 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2011.12.083
journal April 2012
JRC's on-line fission gas release monitoring system in the high flux reactor Petten journal October 2012
Development of a ϕ20mm annular centrifugal contactor for the hot test of the total TRPO process journal March 2009
Comparison of Raman and mid-infrared spectroscopy for quantification of nitric acid in PUREX-relevant mixtures journal November 2023
Implementation of Americium Separation from a PUREX Raffinate journal January 2012
MicroRaman Measurements for Nuclear Fuel Reprocessing Applications journal January 2016
Multivariate nonlinear spectral fitting for uranium isotopic analysis with laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy journal December 2018
Isotopic analysis of uranium by laser induced breakdown spectroscopy journal May 2020
Analytical characterization of laser induced plasmas towards uranium isotopic analysis in gaseous uranium hexafluoride journal February 2021
Nonlinear Multivariate Calibration Methods in Analytical Chemistry journal October 1993
New approach for distance measurement in locally weighted regression journal January 1994
Locally weighted regression and scatter correction for near-infrared reflectance data journal April 1990
Water O–H Stretching Raman Signature for Strong Acid Monitoring via Multivariate Analysis journal March 2013
Development of Online Spectroscopic pH Monitoring for Nuclear Fuel Reprocessing Plants: Weak Acid Schemes journal April 2015
Direct Uranium(VI) and Nitrate Determinations in Nuclear Reprocessing by Time-Resolved Laser-Induced Fluorescence journal January 1996
Enabling Microscale Processing: Combined Raman and Absorbance Spectroscopy for Microfluidic On-Line Monitoring journal December 2020
Cavity Ring-Down Spectroscopy: Recent Technological Advancements, Techniques, and Applications journal November 2020
Raman Spectroscopy Coupled with Chemometric Analysis for Speciation and Quantitative Analysis of Aqueous Phosphoric Acid Systems journal March 2021
On-Line Monitoring of Radiocarbon Emissions in a Nuclear Facility with Cavity Ring-Down Spectroscopy journal November 2021
Development of Online pH Monitoring for Lactic, Malonic, Citric, and Oxalic Acids Based on Raman Spectroscopy Using Hierarchical Chemometric Modeling journal December 2022
Quantification of Hydrogen Isotopes Utilizing Raman Spectroscopy Paired with Chemometric Analysis for Application across Multiple Systems journal April 2024
Multivariate Analysis for Quantification of Plutonium(IV) in Nitric Acid Based on Absorption Spectra journal August 2017
Multivariate Analysis To Quantify Species in the Presence of Direct Interferents: Micro-Raman Analysis of HNO 3 in Microfluidic Devices journal January 2018
Laser Spectroscopy for Monitoring of Radiocarbon in Atmospheric Samples journal September 2019
Reimagining pH Measurement: Utilizing Raman Spectroscopy for Enhanced Accuracy in Phosphoric Acid Systems journal March 2020
On-Line Monitoring of Gas-Phase Molecular Iodine Using Raman and Fluorescence Spectroscopy Paired with Chemometric Analysis journal January 2021
Quantification of Raman-Interfering Polyoxoanions for Process Analysis: Comparison of Different Chemometric Models and a Demonstration on Real Hanford Waste journal September 2021
Review of the Scientific Understanding of Radioactive Waste at the U.S. DOE Hanford Site journal January 2018
Exploring the Complex Chemistry of Uranium within Molten Chloride Salts journal September 2023
Online, Real-Time Analysis of Highly Complex Processing Streams: Quantification of Analytes in Hanford Tank Sample journal October 2019
Overcoming Oxidation State-Dependent Spectral Interferences: Online Monitoring of U(VI) Reduction to U(IV) via Raman and UV–vis Spectroscopy journal April 2020
Practical Guide to Chemometric Analysis of Optical Spectroscopic Data journal June 2023
Absolute Band Intensity of the Iodine Monochloride Fundamental Mode for Infrared Sensing and Quantitative Analysis journal November 2020
Quantification of Uranium in Complex Acid Media: Understanding Speciation and Mitigating for Band Shifts journal October 2023
Sensor Fusion: Comprehensive Real-Time, On-Line Monitoring for Process Control via Visible, Near-Infrared, and Raman Spectroscopy journal July 2020
Mass Transfer Studies in a Pulsed Extraction Column. Longitudinal Concentration Profiles. journal May 1962
Aqueous uranium complexes. 2. Raman spectroscopic study of the complex formation of the dioxouranium(VI) ion with a variety of inorganic and organic ligands journal December 1992
Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy and Multivariate Analysis for Online Monitoring of Dibutyl Phosphate Degradation Product in Tributyl Phosphate/ n -Dodecane/Nitric Acid Solvent journal November 2013
Multivariate Curve Resolution (MCR). Solving the mixture analysis problem journal January 2014
Absorption spectroscopy for the quantitative prediction of lanthanide concentrations in the 3LiCl–2CsCl eutectic at 723 K journal January 2016
Simultaneous quantification of uranium(vi), samarium, nitric acid, and temperature with combined ensemble learning, laser fluorescence, and Raman scattering for real-time monitoring journal January 2022
Analysis of trace elements in uranium by inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy, design of experiments, and partial least squares regression journal January 2023
A novel technique towards deployment of hydrostatic pressure based level sensor in nuclear fuel reprocessing facility journal February 2016
Optical spectroscopy of laser-produced plasmas for standoff isotopic analysis journal June 2018
Thirty Stage Annular Centrifugal Contactor Thermal Profile Measurements journal February 2010
Pilot-Scale TRUEX Flowsheet Testing for Separation of Actinides and Lanthanides from used Nuclear Fuel journal July 2010
Method for Online Process Monitoring for Use in Solvent Extraction and Actinide Separations journal July 2010
Recent Advances in the Development and Application of Annular Centrifugal Contactors in the Nuclear Industry journal December 2013
Liquid–Liquid Mixing Studies in Annular Centrifugal Contactors Comparing Stationary Mixing Vane Options journal September 2015
Electrochemistry of PUREX: R is for reduction and ion transfer journal May 2021
Multivariate Curve Resolution (MCR) from 2000: Progress in Concepts and Applications journal December 2006
Progress of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy in nuclear industry applications journal October 2019
Performance evaluation of terrestrial laser scanners—a review journal May 2021
A differential viscosity detector for use in miniaturized chemical separation systems journal February 2005
Analysis of Fission Gas Release Kinetics by On-Line Mass Spectrometry journal August 2012
Monitoring Aqueous Reprocessing Systems for Detection of Facility Misuse journal April 2019
A Piecewise Local Partial Least Squares (PLS) Method for the Quantitative Analysis of Plutonium Nitrate Solutions journal October 2017
Measuring Nd(III) Solution Concentration in the Presence of Interfering Er(III) and Cu(II) Ions: A Partial Least Squares Analysis of Ultraviolet–Visible Spectra journal October 2021
Microfluidic In-Situ Spectrophotometric Approaches to Tackle Actinides Analysis in Multiple Oxidation States journal February 2022
Monitoring Noble Gases (Xe and Kr) and Aerosols (Cs and Rb) in a Molten Salt Reactor Surrogate Off-Gas Stream Using Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) journal May 2022
Q-statistic and T2-statistic PCA-based measures for damage assessment in structures journal November 2010
Radioactive Carbon Isotope Monitoring System Based on Cavity Ring-down Laser Spectroscopy for Decommissioning Process of Nuclear Facilities journal January 2008
On-Line Noble Gas Fission Product Monitoring in Experimental Breeder Reactor II journal January 1971
On-Line Radiation Monitoring at a Nuclear Fuel Reprocessing Plant journal August 1980
Principal component analysis - a tutorial journal January 2016
Chemical engineering for advanced aqueous radioactive materials separations book January 2011
Standard and advanced separation: PUREX processes for nuclear fuel reprocessing book January 2011
A brief history of the PUREX and UO{sub 3} facilities report November 1993
Spectrophotometers for plutonium monitoring in HB-line report February 2016
CoDCon Project (Final Report) report October 2020
Plutonium: Advancing Our Understanding To Support Sustainable Nuclear Fuel Cycles journal January 2018
Compact Viscometer Prototype for Remote In Situ Analysis of Sludge journal July 2019