Year
1997
Abstract
Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) Plutonium Facility is fulfilling its role of a Department of Energy (DOE) Defense Programs nuclear “User Facility/Technology Development Center” by testing commercially built and owned, mobile nondestructive assay (NDA) systems to be validated with special nuclear materials. The special nuclear materials were utilized for systems calibrations, “pre-certification” data for future DOE installations, and substantiation of the commercial system’s viability for measurement of nuclear waste. Two independent commercial companies financed the testing of their three mobile NDA systems at the site. Contained within a single trailer is Canberra Industries’ segmented gamma scanner/waste assay system and neutron waste drum assay system. The third system is a Pajarito Scientific Corporation differential die-away imaging passive/active neutron counter. The measurement results of the testing for the Canberra Industries’ systems include bias, precision, minimum detectable activity, plutonium isotopics and representative waste types (salt, metal, combustibles, leaded rubber, and filters). Pajarito Scientific Corporation system test results include the same representative waste types. LANL also unofficially evaluated both the Canberra Industries’ systems and the Pajarito Scientific Corporation system against the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant Performance Demonstration Plan (PDP). Systems descriptions, on-site efficacy, benefits of the testing, and results from only the PDP and waste measurements will be reported. Well over a thousand data points were collected on each instrument. A final LANL report on all the tests for these systems will be completed in the near future.