Apparatus and method for quantitative assay of generic transuranic wastes from nuclear reactors
US4483816A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 31, 1982 |
| Grant date | Nov 20, 1984 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 31, 2002 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01V5/281
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A combination of passive and active neutron measurements which yields quantitative information about the isotopic composition of transuranic wastes from nuclear power or weapons material manufacture reactors is described. From the measurement of prompt and delayed neutron emission and the incidence of two coincidentally emitted neutrons from induced fission of fissile material in the sample, one can quantify .sup.233 U, .sup.235 U and .sup.239 Pu isotopes in waste samples. Passive coincidence counting, including neutron multiplicity measurement and determination of the overall passive neutron flux additionally enables the separate quantitative evaluation of spontaneous fission isotopes such as .sup.240 Pu, .sup.244 Cm and .sup.252 Cf, and the spontaneous alpha particle emitter .sup.241 Am. These seven isotopes are the most important constituents of wastes from nuclear power reactors and once the mass of each isotope present is determined by the apparatus and method of the instant invention, the overall alpha particle activity can be determined to better than 1 nCi/g from known radioactivity data. Therefore, in addition to the quantitative analysis of the waste sample useful for lat…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.