@book{4e953e998a6440859f29c65c85fc4c64,
title = "Non-destructive assay of spent nuclear fuel: principles and performance assessment",
abstract = "Procedures to characterise spent nuclear fuel strongly rely on theoretical calculations using depletion codes which require two types of input data, i.e. nuclear data and design and operational data of the spent nuclear fuel. To validate the procedures high quality experimental data are required. In this report the principles of methods to support the characterization of spent nuclear fuel by non-destructive assay are studied. The focus is on passive non-destructive assay methods to produce experimental data for depletion code validation and for the verification of spent fuel related input data. In section 2 the main observables and radionuclides of interest for non-destructive assay of spent nuclear fuel without the need of a chemical treatment are discussed. Section 3 describes two non-destructive assay methods to produce high quality data for code validation: an absolute method to determine the neutron emission rate of a spent fuel segment sample and calorimetric measurements using the calorimeter at the Clab (“Centralt mellanlager f{\"o}r anv{\"a}nt k{\"a}rnbr{\"a}nsle”: Central Interim Storage Facility for Spent Nuclear Fuel) facility. Non-destructive assay methods to determine characteristics of spent nuclear fuel assemblies are discussed in section 4, with an emphasis on measurements using the gamma-ray spectroscopic system installed at Clab and the use of a FORK-type detector for in-pool measurements to determine the gamma-ray and neutron emission rate of an assembly. The FORK detector is a system that is used by safeguards authorities to verify spent fuel assemblies. It consists of a fission chamber for neutron detection and an ionisation chamber for total gamma-ray detection. Most of the results presented in this report are part of deliverables produced within EURAD, the European Joint Programme on Radioactive Waste Management, and are the results of activities within the nuclear data project SANDA (Solving Challenges in Nuclear Data for the Safety of European Nuclear facilities).",
keywords = "Burnup, Calorimetry, Cooling time, Decay heat, Depletion calculations, EURAD, Fission chamber, Gamma-ray, Initial enrichment, Ionisation chamber, Neutron, Non-destructive assay, Nuclear data, Spent nuclear fuel",
author = "Peter Schillebeeckx and Gery Alaerts and Alessandro Borella and Jesper Kirkegaard and Stefan Kopecky and Ga{\v s}per Letnar and Nadia Messaoudi and Bent Pedersen and Pablo Romojaro and Virgini Solans and Stefano Vaccaro and Marc Verwerft and Ruud Wynants and Gasper Zerovnik",
note = "Score=1 RN - SCK CEN/86514797",
year = "2024",
month = nov,
day = "19",
language = "English",
series = "SCK CEN Reports",
publisher = "SCK CEN",
number = "SCK CEN/86514797",
address = "Belgium",
}