SOME IMPLICATIONS OF APPLYING NRTA TO A MOX FACILITY WITH SIGNIFICANT TEMPORARY STORES

Mixed oxide (MOX) fabrication plants can have temporary storage areas which presumably facilitate smooth, uninterrupted operations. A computer simulation has been developed to assess the impact that large temporary material stores might have on near real time material accounting (NRTA) balances. In essence NRTA systems regard these stores as ‘black boxes’, because assumptions have to be made about their contents, albeit temporarily. NRTA balances are discussed for a single scenario reflecting operational deviations in primary dosing. Although these deviations might not be truly representative, the underlying message relates to the impact that deviations like this might have on NRTA balances.