DOI QR코드

DOI QR Code

Sensitivity simulation on isotopic fissile measurement using neutron resonances

  • Received : 2021.05.18
  • Accepted : 2021.08.13
  • Published : 2022.02.25

Abstract

Uranium and plutonium are required to be accounted in spent fuel head-end and major recovery area in pyro-process for safeguards purpose. The possibility of neutron resonance technique, as a nondestructive analysis, was simulated on isotopic fissile analysis for large scale process. Neutron resonance technique has advantage to distinguish uranium from plutonium directly in mixture. Simulation was performed on U235 and Pu239 assay in spent fuel and for scoping examination of assembly type. The resonance energies were determined for U235 and Pu239. The linearity in the neutron transmission was examined for the selected resonance energies. In addition, the limit for detection was examined by changing sample density, thickness and content for actual application. Several factors were proposed for neutron production and the moderated neutron source was simulated for effective and efficient transmission measurement. From the simulation results, neutron resonance technique is promising to analyze U235 and Pu239 for spent fuel assembly. An accurate fissile assay will contribute to an increased safeguards for the pyro-processing system and international credibility on the reuse of fissile materials in the fuel cycle.

Keywords

Acknowledgement

This work was supported by the Nuclear Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) grant funded by the Korean government (MSIP) (NRF2021M2E3A3040093) and the Korea Institute of Energy Technology Evaluation and Planning (KETEP) and the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE) of the Republic of Korea (No. 20201710200010).

References

  1. S.G. Ahn, Preliminary Conceptual Design of Safeguards System for KAPF, KAERI-TR6585, 2016.
  2. Y.D. Lee, S.G. Ahn, Nuclear measurement in Pyro-processed wastes, Ann. Nucl. Energy 143 (2020) 107457. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anucene.2020.107457
  3. S. J. Tobin, "Technical cross-cutting issues for the next generation safeguards initiative's spent fuel nondestructive assay project," Technical report.
  4. M. Bolind, M. Seya, Jaea, The State of the Art of the Nondestructive Assay of Spent Fuel Assembly, JAEA2015-027, 2015.
  5. T. Burr, Uncertainty quantification for new approaches to spent fuel assay, Nucl. Sci. Eng. 172 (2012) 180. https://doi.org/10.13182/NSE11-73
  6. Y.D. Lee, C.J. Park, Development of lead slowing down spectrometer for isotopic fissile assay, NET 46 (No. 6) (2014).
  7. H.O. Menlove, C.D. Tesche, M.M. Thorpe, R.B. Walton, A resonance self indication technique for isotopic assay of fissile materials, Nucl. Appl. 6 (1969) 401. https://doi.org/10.13182/nt69-a28350
  8. A.M. LaFleur, W.S. Charlton, H.O. Menlove, M.T. Swinhoe, Development of self interrogation neutron resonance densitometry to quantify the fissile content in PWR spent LEU and MOX assemblies, Nucl. Sci. Eng. 171 (2012) 3.
  9. B. Quiter, Examining 239Pu and 240Pu Nuclear Resonance Fluorescence Measurements on Spent Fuel for Nuclear Safeguards, LBNL-5721, 2013.
  10. T. Hayakawa, Nondestructive assay of plutonium and minor actinide in spent fuel using nuclear resonance fluorescence with laser Compton scattering gamma rays, Nucl. Instrum. Methods A 621 (2019) 695. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2010.06.096
  11. J. Behrens, Neutron resonance transmission analysis of reactor fuel samples, Nucl. Technol. 67 (1984).
  12. C. Paradela, et al., Neutron resonance analysis for nuclear safeguards and security applications, EPJ Web Conf. 146 (2017), 09002.
  13. B. Becker, et al., Particle size inhomogeneity effect on neutron resonance densitometry, ESARDA Bull. 50 (2013) 2.
  14. M. Seya, et al., Promising NDA technologies for material accountancy of nuclear material in debris of melted fuel of fukushima-daiichi NPP, in: Proc. Of the 35th ESARDA Symposium on Safeguards and Nuclear Non-proliferation, IAEA, 2013.
  15. J.W. Sterbentz, D.L. Chichester, INL/EXT-10-20620 neutron resonance transmission analysis (nrta): a nondestructive assay technique for the next generation safeguards initiative's plutonium assay challenge, Idaho 83415 (2010).
  16. C.J. Park, Y.D. Lee, Metal plate target design for the lead slowing down time spectrometer (LSDTS), Ann. Nucl. Energy 49 (2012) pp218. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anucene.2012.05.029
  17. Y.D. Lee, Thermal analysis at target for neutron generation in fissile assay, NET 118 (2018) 241.
  18. IAEA, Handbook on Photonuclear Data for Applications, IAEA-TECDOC-1178, 2000.
  19. D.B. Pelowitz, "MCNP: A General Monte Carlo Code for Neutron and Photon Transport," LA-CP-05-0369, Los Alamos National Laboratory, 2005.
  20. A.G. Croff, ORIGEN2 Isotope Generation and Depletion Code Matrix Exponential Method, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, 1985.