Determining initial enrichment, burnup, and cooling time of pressurized-water-reactor spent fuel assemblies by analyzing passive gamma spectra measured at the Clab interim-fuel storage facility in Sweden

Favalli, Andrea; Vo, Duc; Grogan, Brandon R; Jansson, Peter; Liljenfeldt, Henrik; Mozin, Vladimir; Peter, Schwalbach; Sjöland, Anders; Tobin, Stephen J; Trellue, Holly R.; Vaccaro, Stefano

doi:10.1016/j.nima.2016.02.072

Cited by 42 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 7 publications

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“…It then calculates the relative activities of the isotopes using the ratio technique. However, for the current paper, only the net peak areas were used, whereas other papers by NGSI-SF researchers will deal with a detailed analysis of the FRAM spectra evaluation and isotope ratios [13], [14], [15]. Additionally, for the spectra obtained with the ORTEC GMX, the net peak areas were determined using the Genie 2000 software [16] connected to the Lynx electronics, whereas for the data taken with the Canberra GX detector, an additional analysis of the net peak area was done using the PeakEasy software [17].…”

Section: Spectra Evaluation Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

PWR and BWR spent fuel assembly gamma spectra measurements

Vaccaro

Tobin

Favalli

et al. 2016

Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A:

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A project to research the application of nondestructive assay (NDA) to spent fuel assemblies is underway. The research team comprises the European Atomic Energy Community (EURATOM), embodied by the European Commission, DG Energy, Directorate EURATOM Safeguards; the Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Company (SKB); two universities; and several United States national laboratories. The Next Generation of Safeguards Initiative-Spent Fuel project team is working to achieve the following technical goals more easily and efficiently than in the past using nondestructive assay measurements of spent fuel assemblies: (1) verify the initial enrichment, burnup, and cooling time of facility declaration; (2) detect the diversion or replacement of pins, (3) estimate the plutonium mass, (4) estimate the decay heat, and (5) determine the reactivity of spent fuel assemblies. This study focuses on spectrally resolved gamma-ray measurements performed on a diverse set of 50 assemblies [25 pressurized water reactor (PWR) assemblies and 25 boiling water reactor (BWR) assemblies]; these same 50 assemblies will be measured with neutron-based NDA instruments and a full-length calorimeter. Given that encapsulation/repository and dry storage safeguards are the primarily intended applications, the analysis focused on the dominant gamma-ray lines of 137 Cs, 154 Eu, and 134 Cs because these isotopes will be the primary gamma-ray emitters during the time frames of interest to these applications. This study addresses the impact on the measured passive gamma-ray signals due to the following factors: burnup, initial enrichment, cooling time, assembly type (eight different PWR and six different BWR fuel designs),

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Section: Spectra Evaluation Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

PWR and BWR spent fuel assembly gamma spectra measurements

Vaccaro

Tobin

Favalli

et al. 2016

Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A:

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“…The assemblies are part of the so-called SKB50 set, and have been measured using several different safeguards instruments [13]. The 16 assemblies are of two different designs (manufacturers) with eight assemblies per design.…”

Section: Validation Of Results With Measurement Data From Intact Spent Nuclear Fuel Assembliesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Partial defect detection using the DCVD and a segmented Region-Of-Interest

Branger¹,

Grape²,

Jansson³

2020

J. Inst.

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The Digital Cherenkov Viewing Device (DCVD) is a safeguards instrument available to international nuclear safeguards inspectors. It is frequently used to verify fuel on the gross defect level, and approved for partial defect verification, i.e. to assess that parts of a fuel assembly have not been diverted. The current limit for partial defect verification with the DCVD is on the 50% level. In the verification process, an analysis methodology is used where the inspector places a Region-Of-Interest (ROI) around the fuel assembly and assesses the total Cherenkov light intensity within this region. The intensity is then compared to a predicted value, and deviations from the predicted value are used to flag fuel assemblies for further investigations.In this work, we investigate a slightly different analysis approach, where the ROI is split into two or three segments to more accurately capture changes in light intensity in different regions of the captured image. The purpose is to increase the sensitivity of the DCVD to partial defects below the 50% level. Based on simulations of a Pressurised Water Reactor 17x17 fuel assembly, we conclude that a partial defect on the 30% level decreases the Cherenkov light intensity by at least 15% using one single ROI, by at least 20% using a ROI with two segments, and by at least 22% using a ROI with three segments. The analysis approach using two or three ROI segments instead of one thus appears to be more sensitive to partial defects, and can enable more accurate detection of partial defects on the 50% level as well as partial defect detection below the 50% level.Validation of the approach using a limited set of measurement data of intact fuel assemblies supports that detection of light intensity reductions by 20% and 22% is possible, while ensuring that the false positive rate is kept sufficiently low. However, an optimization of ROI segment splits as well as a more extended validation of the approach is required before the method can be considered reliable and applicable to all fuel assemblies that the DCVD can verify today.

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“…relating fuel discharge burnup to initial enrichment for commercial pressurized water reactor fuel; a range of burnup values from 20 to 60 GWd/tonne U in increments of 5 GWd/tonne U were selected, and corresponding enrichment values were calculated. 15 A cooling time of 5 years was chosen for the analysis as it was the current capability of SSPM EChem as well as to simulate realistic operating conditions. The line directly correlated with Eq.…”

Section: Iiia Used Nuclear Fuelmentioning

confidence: 99%

Examination of (α,n) Signatures as a Means of Plutonium Quantification in Electrochemical Reprocessing

Gilliam

Coble

Skutnik

2021

Nuclear Science and Engineering

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In this paper, we investigate the possibility of plutonium quantification within the electrorefiner vessel of an electrochemical separation facility via the use of the (α,n) neutron signature from dissolved actinides. As a potential alternative means to traditional spontaneous fission tracking, such an analysis may provide a more reliable tracking capability of plutonium within systems that produce a mixed matrix sample that yields a large (α,n) source term relative to that of spontaneous fission. This assessment includes an evaluation and breakdown of nuclides within the refining unit to differentiate the source of neutrons and then the ratio between (α,n) emissions to total neutron emissions given a range of fuel parameters. Next, we provide an assessment of the origin of (α,n) neutrons in relation to multiple isotopes of plutonium to determine the potential of a direct tracking method. Preliminary results indicate that the (α,n) contribution for electrochemical systems is much higher than in its aqueous counterpart and rivals spontaneous fission yield in terms of magnitude. Furthermore, 238 Pu is shown to be a main contributor to the (α,n) yield for the fuel examined in this study.

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Determining initial enrichment, burnup, and cooling time of pressurized-water-reactor spent fuel assemblies by analyzing passive gamma spectra measured at the Clab interim-fuel storage facility in Sweden

Cited by 42 publications

References 7 publications

PWR and BWR spent fuel assembly gamma spectra measurements

PWR and BWR spent fuel assembly gamma spectra measurements

Partial defect detection using the DCVD and a segmented Region-Of-Interest

Examination of (α,n) Signatures as a Means of Plutonium Quantification in Electrochemical Reprocessing

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