Development of Non-Destructive Assay System to Measure Pu inventory in Glove Boxes

Year
2006
Author(s)
Howard Menlove - Los Alamos National Laboratory
M.C. Miller - Los Alamos National Laboratory
Martyn T. Swinhoe - Los Alamos National Laboratory
J. B. Marlow - Los Alamos National Laboratory
Kazunori Fujimaki - Japan Nuclear Fuel Limited
Carlos D. Rael - Los Alamos National Laboratory
Junji Shimizu - Japan Nuclear Fuel Limited
Kousuke Yamaya - Japan Nuclear Fuel Limited
Kazuhiko Hiruta - Japan Nuclear Fuel Limited
Abstract
JNFL MOX Fuel Fabrication Plant (J-MOX) is a large, highly automated facility, handling a large amount of plutonium in a bulk form (MOX powder, MOX pellets) in glove boxes. Therefore, a quantitative measurement of Pu inventory contained in the glove boxes is quite important from the material accountancy and safeguards points of view. A non-destructive assay equipment should be developed to integrate closely with plant operations in a non-intrusive manner and the effective measurement and verification for the Pu inventory in glove boxes should be realized. JNFL is now developing the GUAM (Glovebox Unattended Assay and Monitoring system) in cooperation with Los Alamos National Laboratory as a new promising instrument for the J-MOX safeguards system. The subject of this paper is to present the design concept to apply for the J-MOX. The technical challenges for the practical use will be also clarified in this paper as well as the fundamental features of the GUAM.