The Innovations in Fuel Cycle Research Awards Program — A Student Competition

The use of a Lead Slowing-Down Spectrometer (LSDS) is considered as a possible option for nondestructive assay of fissile material in used (spent) nuclear fuel. The primary objective is to quantify the remaining fissile content of the fuel consisting mainly of Pu and U. The characterization of spent fuel is particularly important for nuclear safeguards and for determining the fuel burn-up level in view of reprocessing and recycling of used fuel. The LSDS is well suited for spent fuel testing due to its ability to assay non-destructively and directly. Several studies discussed the potential of the LSDS for spent fuel assay. In addition, LSDS systems have been successfully used by INTERATOM and the Research Center in Karlsruhe, Germany, as well as by Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) to assay fresh fuel pins. In the framework of the LSDS Collaboration for the Material Protection and Control Technology (MPACT) Campaign, several measurements were performed in order to demonstrate the feasibility of the LSDS assay method and as a first step towards benchmark measurements.