Materials measurement and accounting in an operating plutonium conversion and purification process. Phase I. Process modeling and simulation. [PUCSF code]

Thomas, C.C.; Ostenak, C.A.; Gutmacher, R.G.; Dayem, H.A.; Kern, E.A.

doi:10.2172/6519589

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“…(5) Each measurement is specified by : 2 (a) a precision (e) with variance a , e 2 (b) a short-term correlated error component (r|) with variance a , ^ 2 (c) a long-term correlated error component (9) with variance a fi , (d) a calibration frequency.…”

Section: Study Ground Rulesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Materials accounting in a fast-breeder-reactor fuels-reprocessing facility: optimal allocation of measurement uncertainties

Dayem¹,

Ostenak²,

Gutmacher³

et al. 1982

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARYThis report describes the first in a series of studies in support of the US Department of Energy's (DOE) Consolidated Fuel Reprocessing Program. These studies develop and evaluate designs of advanced materials measurement and accounting systems (MMASs) for various nuclear spent-fuel reprocessing alternatives. This report examines safeguards design concepts for the feed preparation and chemical separations processes of the Hot Experimental Facility (HEF), a conceptual fast breeder reactor spent-fuel reprocessing facility. We propose an MMAS and use optimization techniques to calculate instrument measurement uncertainties that meet four different accounting performance goals while minimizing the total development cost of instrument systems. We identify measurement uncertainty components that dominate the materials balance variance and instruments that require development to meet given performance goals.Conceptual design efforts for MMASs are a major portion of an integrated safeguards systems study program that is implemented by the Safeguards Systems Group (Q-4) of the Los Alamos National Laboratory, at the direction of the US DOE/Office of Safeguards and Security. These designs invoke technology that has been demonstrated or can be projected within the construction schedules of future nuclear fuel-cycie facilities. The studies define systems concepts, develop methods for evaluating safeguards systems and the data they produce, and should stimulate further development of facilities, processes, systems, and instrumentation needed for improving nuclear materials accounting, thus providing more effective safeguards.Previous Los Alamos National Laboratory studies in the safeguards conceptual design series address the materials management requirements for mixed-oxide fuel refabrication facilities (LA-6536), domestic and foreign spent-fuel reprocessing plants (LA-6881 and LA-8042), plutonium nitrate conversion (LA-7011) and coconversion facilities (LA-7521 and LA-7746-MS), spent-fuel storage ponds (LA-7730-MS), thorium-uranium fuel-cycle facilities (LA-7372 and LA-7411-MS), large fast-critical reactors (LA-7315), and nuclear waste repositories (LA-8049-MS). In general, these studies calculate the accounting systems performance by proposing a measurement system based on current technology or its reasonable extrapolations. The measurement uncertainties for each proposed instrument are then combined and propagated to obtain an overall materials loss-detection sensitivity.This study reverses the approach. We select specific accounting performance goals for the HEF and use optimization techniques to calculate measurement uncertainties required to meet these goals while minimizing the total development cost of the instrument system.The design for Oak Ridge National Laboratory's HEF incorporates a modified Purex process that allows coprocessing uranium and plutonium. The flow sheet is based on reprocessing 0.5 tonne/day of breeder reactor fuel having (1) a maximum burnup of 150 000 megawatt-days per tonne, (2)...

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Section: Study Ground Rulesmentioning

confidence: 99%