Year
1997
Abstract
Although uranium emichment instruments have been in existence for many years, some have been very expensive, others bulky, inaccurate or complicated to use. There still exists a need for a hand-held portable, user-friendly, and application-specific instrument. After analyzing several types of gamma-ray radiation detectors and emichment determination methodologies, we found that a moderate volume cadmium-zinc-telluride (CZT) radiation detector satisfied all our detector requirements. Our emichment meter design uses a liquid crystal display (LCD) that displays percent emichment, sample container metal thickness, count-rate, and integrated counts. Push-button switches are provided to input sample container metal alloy, sample container metal thickness, uranium type, and counting time. Two push-button switches are used to either increase or decrease the LCD readout for correct sample container metal thickness. The count-rate correction formulas have been written into the microprocessor. After the lapse of the preselected counting time, the emichment value is displayed on the LCD readout. Some of the circuits developed for the Oak Ridge Sensors for Enhancing Nuclear Safeguards (ORSENS) program can be used in the emichment meter and reduce the cost projected for the unit to be less than $2,000.