Time stamped list mode data from gamma-ray spectroscopic measurements on 47 nuclear fuel assemblies performed at Clab, Sweden, September 2016 through March 2019

Abstract

Using a high-purity Germanium gamma-ray energy spectroscopic detector system, time-stamped list-mode data sets were acquired during axial scanning of 19 boiling water reactor (BWR) and 28 pressurized water reactor (PWR) type of nuclear fuel assemblies. The data sets were collected during two measurements campaigns in September 2016 and March 2019 at the Central Interim Storage Facility for Spent Nuclear (Clab) in Sweden. A certified calibration source of 137 Cs was positioned along the central line of sight between the measured fuel assembly and the detector. Data sets from measurements with only the calibration source and other background sources, i.e. without a nuclear fuel assembly present, are also included. The list-mode structure of the measured data allows for an axially-resolved as well as energy-spectral resolved intensity of nuclide-specific gamma lines emitted from the spent nuclear fuel. Data presented here can be used e.g. for validation of gamma-ray transport simulation tools or for development of methods to estimate parameters of the spent nuclear fuel based on data from gamma-ray spectroscopy.

Spent Nuclear Fuel Passive Gamma Analysis And Reproducibility: Application to Skb-50 Assemblies

“…raw data are available in Jansson et al (2020). For this campaign, details on the measurement set-up, detector, and acquisition systems are in Jansson et al (2020). The PWR SNFs were measured in 2016, and the BWR SNFs were measured in 2019.…”

“…The list mode data for the gamma spectroscopic measurements data performed for campaigns 1 and 2 (Jansson et al, 2020) is grouped into batches. Each batch is associated with a live-time.…”

“…In black: total count rate for the SNF denoted PWR01, corner 135 using the notation in Jansson et al (2020). In red: time limitation between each group with the updated algorithm used in this paper.…”

“…Additionally, gamma spectroscopy can be used to indirectly estimate other safety parameters such as decay heat via the Cs-137 content in the SNF (Jansson et al, 2020) or the fuel parameters (burnup, initial enrichment and cooling time (Vaccaro et al, 2016)). Techniques for the verification of the fuel parameters are also important from a safeguards perspective.…”

“…However, the so-called SKB-50 fuel, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anucene.2023.109941 Received 26 January 2023; Received in revised form 15 April 2023; Accepted 21 May 2023 selected in 2013-2014, comprising 25 BWR and25 PWR SNFs from the Swedish nuclear reactors, is spanning the range of fuel parameters initial enrichment, burnup, cooling time expected to be encountered during encapsulation and geological storage. It constitutes a unique set of SNFs that have been repeatedly measured by multiple instruments over many years (Jansson et al, 2020;Vaccaro et al, 2016;Trahan et al, 2020), to develop techniques to be used for SNFs characterization before encapsulation and final storage. The collected data also offers a unique opportunity to evaluate the reproducibility of gamma spectroscopy of SNF.…”