Year
1990
Abstract
An in-situ remotely controlled irradiated fuel bundle verification system has been developed for use in the irradiated fuel storage bay at Ontario Hydro's Bruce Nuclear Generating Station \"B\" in Canada. Irradiated fuel bundles are stored in trays stacked one on top of the other within a stacking frame, to a height of approximately 16 feet (37 trays). The system consists of two parts: the verifier and the system controls. The verifier is installed on top of the uppermost fuel tray of a selected fuel stack and is controlled from a control console at the side of the bay. It can be transported by the gantry crane to any stack in the bay. The system allows vertical and horizontal movement of the verification apparatus and provides access to each irradiated fuel bundle in the selected stacking frame. It provides detailed visual images of the fuel bundles on a TV monitor using a radiation resistant zoom camera. This non-intrusive operation requires no movement of either the irradiated fuel bundles or associated storage equipment, while providing visual authentication of the presence of fuel bundles at any position in the irradiated fuel storage bay. Interruption of normal routine operations in the bay can be kept to a minimum. The verifier design incorporates provisions for future NDA bundle authentication by a suitable radiation detector which is currently under investigation and development.