The Multi-Detector Analysis System (MDAS): Phase I

The Spent Nuclear Fuel (SNF) Nondestructive Analysis (NDA) program at INEEL is developing a sys- tem to characterize SNF for fissile mass, radiation source term and fissile isotopic content. The Multi- Detector Analysis System (MDAS) integrates detector arrays, fast electronics, high-speed data acquisition, real-time analysis and archival mass storage methods to characterize spent nuclear fuel and transuranic waste without special calibration standards or a priori knowledge. The characteriza- tion data can be used independently as the qualified information for transportation, storage or dis- posal of the material or to validate existing unqualified records on the material items. No comparable system exists or is being developed at other DOE facilities. The 10 minute video describes the existing Phase 1 research system at the Transient Reactivity Test (TREAT) facility of Argonne National Laboratory — West and discusses the underlying physics of the system. Phase 1 of the research successfully used the system to look at spontaneous fission in natural sources. The video presents the plans for FY 1999 and FY 2000 to modify the system and, by close of FY 2000, characterize varied forms of spent nuclear fuel using induced fission.