Year
2008
Abstract
It is widely accepted that a large-scale nuclear fuel recycling facility, such as the EnergySolutions Light Water Reactor Recycling Centre (LWRRC) proposed for the GNEP program, will require complex and carefully designed instrumentation systems. In anticipation of this the DOE through its GNEP program has initiated a number of research and development programs to investigate ‘advanced instrumentation’ that will support the next generation of US nuclear facilities including spent fuel recycling plants. In a recent PSC study, carried out for EnergySolutions in support of LWRRC concept development, it was concluded that there is close correlation between the anticipated LWRRC instrumentation requirements and the capability of special instrument systems already successfully implemented in the THORP UK reprocessing facility. Applying the Department of Energy (DOE) Technology Readiness Level (TRL) review criteria to THORP’s existing special instrument technology also indicates a high degree of technical readiness for implementation in future recycling facilities. However, there remain technological challenges associated with the provision of cost-effective and efficient measurement systems for the proposed recycling facilities. The characteristics and performance of THORP’s most important and technically complex custom measurement systems have been reviewed in the context of future US recycling activities. These systems are the Spent Fuel Monitor, the Hulls Monitor, and the Plutonium Inventory Monitor (PIMS).