Technical Basis for the Use of a Correlated Neutron Source in the Uranium Neutron Coincidence Collar

Active neutron coincidence systems are commonly used by international inspectorates to verify a material balance across the various stages of the nuclear fuel cycle. The Uranium Neutron Coincidence Collar (UNCL) is one such instrument; it is used to measure the linear density of 235 U (g 235 U/cm of...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Nuclear technology 2017-02, Vol.197 (2), p.180-190
Main Authors: Root, M. A., Menlove, H. O., Lanza, R. C., Rael, C. D., Miller, K. A., Marlow, J. B.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
active interrogation
Collars
Computer simulation
Detectors
Lithosphere
Monte Carlo methods
neutron interrogation source
Neutron sources
NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT, SAFEGUARDS, AND PHYSICAL PROTECTION
Nuclear fuels
Safeguards
Statistical methods
Uranium
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Summary:Active neutron coincidence systems are commonly used by international inspectorates to verify a material balance across the various stages of the nuclear fuel cycle. The Uranium Neutron Coincidence Collar (UNCL) is one such instrument; it is used to measure the linear density of 235 U (g 235 U/cm of active length in assembly) in fresh light water reactor fuel in nuclear fuel fabrication facilities. The UNCL and other active neutron interrogation detectors have historically relied on americium lithium ( 241 AmLi) sources to induce fission within the sample in question. Californium-252 is under consideration as a possible alternative to the traditional 241 AmLi source. This work relied upon a combination of experiments and Monte Carlo simulations to demonstrate the technical basis for the replacement of 241 AmLi sources with 252 Cf sources by evaluating the statistical uncertainty in the measurements incurred by each source and assessing the penetrability of neutrons from each source for the UNCL.
ISSN:0029-5450
1943-7471
DOI:10.13182/NT16-50