Selected Results for Measuring Holdup in Oxide Hoods and Transfer Lines at Hanford

Physical inventories require quantifying the holdup in process equipment; one practical way of accomplishing this is measuring the gamma ray from plutonium ( Field measurements of plutonium holdup in dry plutonium oxide hoods or process transfer lines is frequently biased low, due to the possibility of heavy loading causing severe self-attenuation of the gamma rays. An experiment was performed to determine the allowable loading limits for measuring plutonium holdup in dry oxide hoods. Field measurements of transfer lines in a plutonium production facility are frequently biased low due to the self shielding of the holdup material. Fixed and portable gamma ray measurements were made of 6-ft-long sections of pipe. The results of this comparison are being used as a correction factor for routine field measurements of piping in the production facility. 239Pu).