Design and Evaluation of an Integrated Safeguards System: Principles

An integrated safeguards system is defined as a collection of safeguards activities in which system components are coordinated to meet safeguards objectives efficiently within constraints imposed by safeguards resources, facility operations, potential adversaries, and regulatory requirements. This paper describes principles for designing and evaluating an integrated safeguards system that consists of four parts: (1) a problem definition phase that specifies resources and constraints composing the problem boundary values; (2) a system analysis/synthesis phase that describes how to select and integrate safeguards activities for efficient attainment of system objectives; (3) a system evaluation/optimization phase that defines measures of safeguards performance and develops methods for evaluating them; and (4) a decision-making phase that develops principles for selecting admissible designs and preference-ordering designs. 6 references, 4 figures, 5 tables

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy: A new technique for nondestructive analysis of solutions

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy has been applied to the continuous determination of uranium in solutions. The technique is rapid, non-invasive, and unaffected by radioactivity. Powerful laser pulses are focused through an optical access onto the solution surface to produce a hot spark plasma. In experiments on static solutions, uranium concentrations between 0.1 and 300 g/L were determined, using a pulsed Md:YAG laser and a time-gated photodiode array. A concentration of 4.2 g/L was measured with 1.0% precision in 3 minutes. Substances that absorb at the laser wavelength, suspended materials, and variations in the acidity of the solution have little or no effect on the results. Experiments are in progress on flowing streams contained in a test loop that simulates plant operating conditions. 1 ref., 3 figs., 3 tabs

Continuous measurement of uranium concentrations with the laser spark

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy has been applied to the continuous determination of uranium concentrations between 0.1 and 300 g/L in flowing solutions. The technique is rapid, noninvasive, and unaffected by radioactivity. A concentration of 10 g/L was measured with 0.8% precision in 3 min. Substances that absorb at the laser wavelength, suspended materials, and variations in the acidity of the solution have little or no effect on the results. High concentrations of zirconium, cadmium, aluminum, or stainless steel in solution do not interfere

Near-real-time verification approaches for the process area of reprocessing plants

Adoption of near-real-time accountancy in large reprocessing plants will necessitate more timely verification. We discuss techniques and instruments that are suitable for on-site verification of input, output, waste streams, and in-process inventory estimation of tanks, solvent extraction contractors, and concentrators. Calculations show that estimates of solvent extraction contractor inventories may make an insignificant contribution to the total uncertainty of the material balance, relative to the contributions by transfer and process tank inventory measurements. 45 refs., 2 tabs

Optimizing the Design of International Safeguards Inspection Systems

Efficient implementation of international inspections for verifying the operation of a nuclear facility requires that available resources be allocated among inspection activities to maximize detection of misoperation. This report describes a design and evaluation method for selecting an inspection system that is optimal for accomplishing inspection objectives. The discussion includes methods for identifying system objectives, defining performance measures, and choosing between candidate systems. Optimization theory is applied in selecting the most preferred inspection design for a single nuclear facility, and an extension to optimal allocation of inspection resources among States containing multiple facilities is outlined. 3 figures, 5 tables

Some recently developed chemical and physical analytical methods /

"TID-4500 (16th Ed.)" -t.p."Chemistry, UC-4" -t.p.Includes bibliographical references.Operated by The University of California, BerkeleyMode of access: Internet

Materials measurement and accounting in an operating plutonium conversion and purification process. Phase I. Process modeling and simulation. [PUCSF code]

A model of an operating conversion and purification process for the production of reactor-grade plutonium dioxide was developed as the first component in the design and evaluation of a nuclear materials measurement and accountability system. The model accurately simulates process operation and can be used to identify process problems and to predict the effect of process modifications

Methods for the accountability of plutonium nitrate solutions /

On cover: General Chemistry Division, Lawrence Livermore Laboratory; Directorate of Regulatory Standards, U.S. Atomic Energy Commission."WASH-1282."Includes bibliographical references.Mode of access: Internet