Year
1986
Abstract
The paper contains a description of a Low Enriched Uranium Fabrication Plant making fuel elements for Light Water Reactors in Europe and is subject to Euratom and IAEA Safeguards. The process starts from UO-2 powder and ends with the finished elements and has an inventory of about 500 Te. The operators' actions to clean up the plant in order to establish the inventory and to prepare the material in a form so that the inspectors can verify it are described together with an estimate of the cost. A short description of the computerised quasi-real time system of accountancy and control which enables the operator to prepare a list of inventory items from which the sampling plans are made is included. The inspection activities are described in some detail including the basis of the sampling plans used and the selection of the samples. This is followed by the results of the measurements made using a SAM II, Davidson MCA, Phonid III neutron interrogation device for bulk materials and an active neutron coincidence collar for the finished fuel elements. The results and conclusions are surveyed including the calculation of the LEMUF.