Nondestructive assay methods for irradiated nuclear fuels

Hsue, S.T.; Crane, T.W.; Talbert, W.L.; Lee, J.C.

doi:10.2172/5153553

Cited by 29 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 20 publications

(15 reference statements)

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“…These same complicating factors also render the use of shielded fission product-to-direct fission product activity ratios difficult. (Hsue et al, 1978) The production of shielded fission products relies on a neutron capture reaction taking place in a previously produced fission product. For a system greater than 5% FIMA, the uncertainty of shielded fission product production makes development of a function to determine burnup as a ratio of a shielded fission product (e.g.…”

Section: Burnup Evaluation From Gamma Spectrometrymentioning

confidence: 99%

An analysis of nuclear fuel burnup in the AGR-1 TRISO fuel experiment using gamma spectrometry, mass spectrometry, and computational simulation techniques

Harp

Demkowicz

Winston

et al. 2014

Nuclear Engineering and Design

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AGR-1 was the first in a series of experiments designed to test US TRISO fuel under high temperature gascooled reactor irradiation conditions. This experiment was irradiated in the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) at Idaho National Laboratory (INL) and is currently undergoing post-irradiation examination (PIE) at INL and Oak Ridge National Laboratory. One component of the AGR-1 PIE is the experimental evaluation of the burnup of the fuel by two separate techniques. Gamma spectrometry was used to non-destructively evaluate the burnup of all 72 of the TRISO fuel compacts that comprised the AGR-1 experiment. Two methods for evaluating burnup by gamma spectrometry were developed, one based on the Cs-137 activity and the other based on the ratio of Cs-134 and Cs-137 activities. Burnup values determined from both methods compared well with the values predicted from simulations. The highest measured burnup was 20.1 %FIMA (fissions per initial heavy metal atom) for the direct method and 20.0 %FIMA for the ratio method (compared to 19.56% FIMA from simulations). An advantage of the ratio method is that the burnup of the cylindrical fuel compacts can be determined in small (2.5 mm) axial increments and an axial burnup profile can be produced. Destructive chemical analysis by inductively coupled mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) was then performed on selected compacts that were representative of the expected range of fuel burnups in the experiment to compare with the burnup values determined by gamma spectrometry. The compacts analyzed by mass spectrometry had a burnup range of 19.3 % FIMA to 10.7 % FIMA. The mass spectrometry evaluation of burnup for the four compacts agreed well with the gamma spectrometry burnup evaluations and the expected burnup from simulation. For all four compacts analyzed by mass spectrometry, the maximum range in the three experimentally determined values and the predicted value was 6% or less. The results confirm the accuracy of the nondestructive burnup evaluation from gamma spectrometry for TRISO fuel compacts across a burnup range of approximately 10 to 20 % FIMA and also validate the approach used in the physics simulation of the AGR-1 experiment.

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Section: Burnup Evaluation From Gamma Spectrometrymentioning

confidence: 99%

An analysis of nuclear fuel burnup in the AGR-1 TRISO fuel experiment using gamma spectrometry, mass spectrometry, and computational simulation techniques

Harp

Demkowicz

Winston

et al. 2014

Nuclear Engineering and Design

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“…In the images presented in this work, the operator-declared burnup distribution has been used. This is highly relevant for long-cooled fuel, since the burnup is proportional to the 137 Cs content [7,8], and the gamma radiation emitted in the decay of 137 Cs dominates the Cherenkov light production for fuel with a cooling time in the order of years. 4.…”

Section: General Simulation Methodologymentioning

confidence: 99%

Verifying nuclear fuel assemblies in wet storages on a partial defect level: A software simulation tool for evaluating the capabilities of the Digital Cherenkov Viewing Device

Grape

Svärd

Lindberg

2013

Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A:

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“…A partial defect is one in which some fraction of the declared material is missing from the object and a bias defect is one in which only a small fraction of the declared material is missing [IAEA (2002)]. Non-Destructive Assay (NDA) has been a staple method in safeguarding, both passively and actively, using various radiation types and employing different methods by which to deduce information about the assayed material [Hsue et al (1978); Behrens et al (1979); Runkle et al (2012); Levai (1982)]. Safeguarding work pertaining to NDA image production are reviewed below.…”

Section: Safeguardsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The use of ionising radiation to image nuclear fuel: A review

Parker

Joyce

2015

Progress in Nuclear Energy

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a b s t r a c tImaging of nuclear fuel using radiation has been carried out for decades for a variety of reasons. Two important reasons are Physical Invertory Verification (PIV) and Quality Assurance (QA). The work covered in this review focuses on the imaging of nuclear fuel using ionising radiation. The fuels investigated are both fresh and spent, composed of assorted materials, and in various physical forms. The radiations used to characterise the nuclear fuel include g, a, b, muons, neutrons and X-rays. The research covered in this review, spans the past four decades and show how the technology has developed over that time. The advancement of computing technology has greatly helped with the progression of the images that are produced. The field began with 2D images in black and white showing the density profiles of g rays from within an object, culminating in 2013 when a pebble bed fuel element was reproduced in 3D showing each 0.5 mm UO 2 globule within it. With the ever increasing computing technology available to the industry, this can only mean an increase in the rate of development of imaging technologies like those covered in this review.

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Nondestructive assay methods for irradiated nuclear fuels

Cited by 29 publications

References 20 publications

An analysis of nuclear fuel burnup in the AGR-1 TRISO fuel experiment using gamma spectrometry, mass spectrometry, and computational simulation techniques

An analysis of nuclear fuel burnup in the AGR-1 TRISO fuel experiment using gamma spectrometry, mass spectrometry, and computational simulation techniques

Verifying nuclear fuel assemblies in wet storages on a partial defect level: A software simulation tool for evaluating the capabilities of the Digital Cherenkov Viewing Device

The use of ionising radiation to image nuclear fuel: A review

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