Reducing Inspector Uncertainty via Solution Monitoring

In international safeguards, the difference (D) statistic adjusts the operator’s inventory difference (ID) for differences between operator and inspector measurements. The D statistic is used to compute the inspector’s ID, defined as IDinspector = IDoperator – D, which has a measurement error standard deviation, sID-D, (uncertainty) that is typically larger than the measurement error standard deviation of the operator’s ID, sID. This implies that the inspector typically has lower loss detection probability than does the operator. The possibility that solution monitoring (SM) could authenticate operator data to the extent that the operator ID could be regarded as the inspector ID is discussed. This paper examines a 3-tank example using SM to describe possible improvements in the inspector’s loss detection probability. Disclaimer: The views herein are those of the authors, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Department of Energy or its laboratories.