The underwater coincidence counter (UWCC) for plutonium measurements in mixed oxide fuels
The use of fresh uranium-plutonium mixed oxide (MOX) fuel in light-water reactors (LWR) is increasing in Europe and Japan and it is necessary to verify the plutonium content in the fuel for international safeguards purposes. The UWCC is a new instrument that has been designed to operate underwater and nondestructively measure the plutonium in unirradiated MOX fuel assemblies. The UWCC can be quickly configured to measure either boiling-water reactor (BWR) or pressurized-water reactor (PWR) fuel assemblies. The plutonium loading per unit length is measured using the UWCC to precisions of less than 1% in a measurement time of 2 to 3 minutes. Initial calibrations of the UWCC were completed on measurements of MOX fuel in Mol, Belgium. The MCNP-REN Monte Carlo simulation code is being benchmarked to the calibration measurements to allow accurate simulations for extended calibrations of the UWCC.
- Research Organization:
- Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-36
- OSTI ID:
- 335193
- Report Number(s):
- LA-UR-98-3303; CONF-980733-; ON: DE99002309; TRN: 99:005040
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 39. Institute of Nuclear Materials Management (INMM) annual meeting, Naples, FL (United States), 26-30 Jul 1998; Other Information: PBD: [1998]
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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