Problem statement: international safeguards for a light-water reactor fuels reprocessing plant

Abstract

0 mmrnt c o 75 O | MKSftR ISO. LOS ALAMOS SCIENTIFIC LABORATORY Post Office Box 1663 Los Alamos. New Mexico 87545 LA-7551MS (SAND 79-0106)-NOTICE This rcporl wai prepare*: is an acrouni of witk sponsured b> (he United Slstes. Government Neither the United Stales nor the United Sutet Department ^f tntr©. nui any of tlieii em^Ioyeei. noi an> of tlieit cont-actora, tubcontracion, a iheif empluyeet. in-ikes, any wairanty, express or implied, or auuirwi any legal lability oi reipontibtJuy foi tl e atcutacy.conipletereu or u«tfulneu of any in forma Don, jppaiatus, product oi ptoceu duclosed, oi reprficni, thai itt ute would noi infnnpf pnviirly owned nghu. ABSTRACTThis report considers the problem of developing international safeguards for a light-water reactor (LWR) fuel reprocessing/conversion facility that combines the Purex process with conversion of plutonium nitrate to the oxide by means of plutonium (III) oxalate precipitation and calcination. Current international safeguards systems are based on the complementary concepts of materials accounting and containment and surveillance, which are designed to detect covert, national diversion of nuclear material. This report discusses the possible diversion threats and some types of countermeasures, and it represents the first stage in providing integrated international safeguards system concepts that make optimum use of available resources. The development of design methodology to address this problem will constitute a significant portion of the subsequent effort.Additionally, future technology development requirements will be identified.

Materials management in an internationally safeguarded fuels reprocessing plant. [1500 and 210 metric tons heavy metal per year]

“…The present study continues the development of concepts described in Ref. 4 and is being performed in conjunction with a parallel effort by the Sandia Laboratories, Albuquerque (SLA) to develop internationally acceptable containment/surveillance techniques.…”