Development of a Safeguards Data Acquisition System for the Process Monitoring of a Simulated Reprocessing Facility

As part of the Consolidated Fuel Reprocessing Program of the Fuel Recycle Division at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (OFNL) , an Integrated Process Demonstrat:'r;. (1PD) facility has been constructed for development of reprocessing plant technology. Through the use of cold (unirradiated) materials, the IPD facility provides for the integrated operation of the major equipment Items of the chemical-processing portion of a nuclear fuel reprocessing plant. The equipment, processes, and the extensive use of computers in data acquisition and control are prototypical of future reprocessing facilities and provide a unique test-bed for nuclear safeguards demonstrations. The data acquisition and control system consists of several microprocessors (each monitoring the on-line sensors of one or more unit operations) that communicate with one another and with a host minicomputer over a common data highway. At intervals of a few minutes, a \"snapshot\" is taken of the process variables, and the data are transmitted to a safeguards computer and minicomputer workstation for analysis. This paper describes this data acquisition system and the datahandling procedures leading to microscopic process monitoring for safeguards purposes.