Development of an Activation Analysis Methodology to Support the Disposal of the High Flux Isotope Reactor Original Reflector Container

The original beryllium reflector container was installed prior to the first ever High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) cycle and was removed at the end of cycle 382. The original beryllium reflector was part of every HFIR irradiation cycle from September of 1966 to October of 2000. After its service lifetime, the beryllium reflector container has been interim stored at the fuel pool storage, which is located adjacent to the reactor. Due to space limitations in the pool fuel storage, it is necessary to remove the beryllium reflector container and send it to a location that can be stored permanently. Prior to shipping the beryllium reflector container, the radiological activity must be known. The challenge in determining the overall activity as well as the isotopic inventory and volumetric material fractions lays on the fact that some of the original reflector container stainless steel quantities are not known. Therefore, a methodology to determine a conservative activation scenario was developed.