Calculations of the Neutron Flux Outside BWR 8×8 Spent-Fuel Assemblies and the Sensitivity to Fuel Pin Diversion

• The possibility of detecting replaced fuel rods in a spent-fuel assembly by means of measurement of the emitted neutron- and gamma-ray radiation has been investigated by computer simulations. The radiation field outside a boiling water reactor 8 × 8 fuel assembly with varying patterns of fuel rods replaced with lead dummies was calculated using a simple model for the source distribution and the Monte Carlo code MCNP-4C for the radiation field. In particular, the sensitivity of the thermal neutron field as measured in a Fork detector to various replacement patterns was investigated. The results suggest a detection limit of 5% of the fuel mass replaced, i.e., 3 out of 63 rods, independently of the pattern of the replaced rods.

Ämnesord

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Fysik -- Subatomär fysik (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Physical Sciences -- Subatomic Physics (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

FORK

neutron

nuclear fuel

diversion

safeguards

Nuclear physics

Kärnfysik

Applied Nuclear Physics

Tillämpad kärnfysik

Fysik med inriktning mot tillämpad kärnfysik

Physics with specialization in Applied Nuclear Physics

Publikations- och innehållstyp

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