NON-DESTRUCTIVE TEST METHOD FOR DETERMINING BORON CONTENT OF BASKETS INSERTED IN SHIPPING CASKS TO ENSURE SUBCRITICALITY

Year

1986

Author(s)

M.M.Q. Hosseini - Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt

M. Blechschmidt - Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt

W. Anspach - Transnuklear GmbH

E. Pollmann - Transnuklear GmbH

W. Rudolf - NUKEM GmbH, Germany

File Attachment

163.PDF936.71 KB

Abstract

In order to ensure the subcriticality of spent fuel elements in shipping casks, the fuel elements are placed into an inserted basket with neutron absorber plates containing a definite amount of the boron-10 isotope. The paper describes a non-destructive test method which allows the specified boron-10 content to be detected by comparative neutron absorption measurements. The measuring apparatus is specified and criteria for the selection of the absorber plates to be tested are stated, with statistical aspects taken into account.