Year
2004
Abstract
The Japan Nuclear Cycle Development Institute (JNC) has developed a Remote Monitoring System (RMS) for the unattended mode Nondestructive Assay (NDA) system at the Plutonium Fuel Production Facility (PFPF) in cooperation with Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) under the JNC/DOE safeguards cooperation agreement. The purpose of this development is to improve the efficiency of safeguards activities for both the operator and the inspectors, and to improve transparency of nuclear material management. To achieve this purpose, JNC and LANL have initiated the development of the RMS hardware and software in 1997 and have performed field trials by using Plutonium Canister Assay System (PCAS), which is the unattended mode NDA systems installed at feed storage in PFPF, with cooperation of the Japan Safeguards Office (JSGO) and the International atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). At the beginning of the field trial, the RMS encountered reliability problems in both hardware and software. However, these problems have been overcome by steady, progressive improvements in hardware and software. As a result of field trials, it was confirmed that the RMS for unattended mode NDA could be used as inspection measures. Therefore, JNC plans to extend the RMS to not only storage areas but also fuel fabrication process areas step-by-step. This expansion plan has multiple effects of both reduction of inspector’s visit to the facility and reduction of impact on facility operations. This paper describes the expansion plans of RMS to the whole area at the PFPF and its effects to be expected.