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Title: Re-evaluation of Spent Nuclear Fuel Assay Data for the Three Mile Island Unit 1 Reactor and Application to Code Validation

Abstract

Destructive radiochemical assay measurements of spent nuclear fuel rod segments from an assembly irradiated in the Three Mile Island unit 1 (TMI-1) pressurized water reactor have been performed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). Assay data are reported for five samples from two fuel rods of the same assembly. The TMI-1 assembly was a 15 X 15 design with an initial enrichment of 4.013 wt% 235U, and the measured samples achieved burnups between 45.5 and 54.5 gigawatt days per metric ton of initial uranium (GWd/t). Measurements were performed mainly using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry after elemental separation via high performance liquid chromatography. High precision measurements were achieved using isotope dilution techniques for many of the lanthanides, uranium, and plutonium isotopes. Measurements are reported for more than 50 different isotopes and 16 elements. One of the two TMI-1 fuel rods measured in this work had been measured previously by Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), and these data have been widely used to support code and nuclear data validation. Recently, ORNL provided an important opportunity to independently cross check results against previous measurements performed at ANL. The measured nuclide concentrations are used to validate burnup calculations using the SCALE nuclear systems modelingmore » and simulation code suite. These results show that the new measurements provide reliable benchmark data for computer code validation.« less

Authors:
 [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1]
  1. Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)
OSTI Identifier:
1223651
Alternate Identifier(s):
OSTI ID: 1396943
Grant/Contract Number:  
AC05-00OR22725
Resource Type:
Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Annals of Nuclear Energy (Oxford)
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Name: Annals of Nuclear Energy (Oxford); Journal Volume: 87; Journal Issue: 2; Journal ID: ISSN 0306-4549
Publisher:
Elsevier
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS; Three Mile Island unit 1 reactor; spent fuel radiochemical analysis; inductively coupled plasma mass; spectrometry with isotopic dilution; isotopic assay benchmark data; SCALE nuclear systems modeling and simulation code

Citation Formats

Gauld, Ian C., Giaquinto, J. M., Delashmitt, J. S., Hu, Jianwei, Ilas, Germina, Haverlock, T. J., and Romano, Catherine E. Re-evaluation of Spent Nuclear Fuel Assay Data for the Three Mile Island Unit 1 Reactor and Application to Code Validation. United States: N. p., 2016. Web. doi:10.1016/j.anucene.2015.08.026.
Gauld, Ian C., Giaquinto, J. M., Delashmitt, J. S., Hu, Jianwei, Ilas, Germina, Haverlock, T. J., & Romano, Catherine E. Re-evaluation of Spent Nuclear Fuel Assay Data for the Three Mile Island Unit 1 Reactor and Application to Code Validation. United States. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anucene.2015.08.026
Gauld, Ian C., Giaquinto, J. M., Delashmitt, J. S., Hu, Jianwei, Ilas, Germina, Haverlock, T. J., and Romano, Catherine E. Fri . "Re-evaluation of Spent Nuclear Fuel Assay Data for the Three Mile Island Unit 1 Reactor and Application to Code Validation". United States. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anucene.2015.08.026. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1223651.
@article{osti_1223651,
title = {Re-evaluation of Spent Nuclear Fuel Assay Data for the Three Mile Island Unit 1 Reactor and Application to Code Validation},
author = {Gauld, Ian C. and Giaquinto, J. M. and Delashmitt, J. S. and Hu, Jianwei and Ilas, Germina and Haverlock, T. J. and Romano, Catherine E.},
abstractNote = {Destructive radiochemical assay measurements of spent nuclear fuel rod segments from an assembly irradiated in the Three Mile Island unit 1 (TMI-1) pressurized water reactor have been performed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). Assay data are reported for five samples from two fuel rods of the same assembly. The TMI-1 assembly was a 15 X 15 design with an initial enrichment of 4.013 wt% 235U, and the measured samples achieved burnups between 45.5 and 54.5 gigawatt days per metric ton of initial uranium (GWd/t). Measurements were performed mainly using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry after elemental separation via high performance liquid chromatography. High precision measurements were achieved using isotope dilution techniques for many of the lanthanides, uranium, and plutonium isotopes. Measurements are reported for more than 50 different isotopes and 16 elements. One of the two TMI-1 fuel rods measured in this work had been measured previously by Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), and these data have been widely used to support code and nuclear data validation. Recently, ORNL provided an important opportunity to independently cross check results against previous measurements performed at ANL. The measured nuclide concentrations are used to validate burnup calculations using the SCALE nuclear systems modeling and simulation code suite. These results show that the new measurements provide reliable benchmark data for computer code validation.},
doi = {10.1016/j.anucene.2015.08.026},
journal = {Annals of Nuclear Energy (Oxford)},
number = 2,
volume = 87,
place = {United States},
year = {Fri Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 2016},
month = {Fri Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 2016}
}

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Works referenced in this record:

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Works referencing / citing this record:

Rapid measurements of 235U fission product isotope ratios using an online, high-pressure ion chromatography inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry protocol with comparison to isotopic depletion models
journal, February 2019

  • Fenske, Emilie K.; Roach, Benjamin D.; Glasgow, David C.
  • Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry, Vol. 320, Issue 1
  • DOI: 10.1007/s10967-019-06438-4