TY - JOUR
T1 - On using code emulators and Monte Carlo estimation to predict assembly attributes of spent fuel assemblies for safeguards applications
AU - Conlin, Jeremy Lloyd
AU - Tobin, Stephen J.
AU - LaFleur, Adrienne M.
AU - Hu, Jianwei
AU - Lee, Tae Hoon
AU - Sandoval, Nathan P.
AU - Schear, Melissa A.
PY - 2011/11
Y1 - 2011/11
N2 - The quantification of the plutonium mass in spent nuclear fuel assemblies is an important measurement for nuclear safeguards practitioners. A program is well underway to develop nondestructive assay instruments that, when combined, will be able to quantify the plutonium content of a spent nuclear fuel assembly. Each instrument will quantify a specific attribute of the spent fuel assembly, e.g., the fissile content. In this paper, we present a Monte Carlo-based method of estimating the mean and distribution of some assembly attributes. An MCNPX model of each instrument has been created, and the response of the instrument was simulated for a range of spent fuel assemblies with discrete parameters (e.g., burnup, initial enrichment, and cooling time). The Monte Carlo-based method interpolates between the modeled results for an instrument to emulate a response for parameters not explicitly modeled. We demonstrate the usefulness of this technique in applying the technique to six different instruments under investigation. The results show that this Monte Carlo-based method can be used to estimate the assembly attributes of a spent fue I assembly based upon the measured response from the instrument.
AB - The quantification of the plutonium mass in spent nuclear fuel assemblies is an important measurement for nuclear safeguards practitioners. A program is well underway to develop nondestructive assay instruments that, when combined, will be able to quantify the plutonium content of a spent nuclear fuel assembly. Each instrument will quantify a specific attribute of the spent fuel assembly, e.g., the fissile content. In this paper, we present a Monte Carlo-based method of estimating the mean and distribution of some assembly attributes. An MCNPX model of each instrument has been created, and the response of the instrument was simulated for a range of spent fuel assemblies with discrete parameters (e.g., burnup, initial enrichment, and cooling time). The Monte Carlo-based method interpolates between the modeled results for an instrument to emulate a response for parameters not explicitly modeled. We demonstrate the usefulness of this technique in applying the technique to six different instruments under investigation. The results show that this Monte Carlo-based method can be used to estimate the assembly attributes of a spent fue I assembly based upon the measured response from the instrument.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=81255176214&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.13182/NSE10-88
DO - 10.13182/NSE10-88
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:81255176214
SN - 0029-5639
VL - 169
SP - 314
EP - 328
JO - Nuclear Science and Engineering
JF - Nuclear Science and Engineering
IS - 3
ER -