Assay data of spent nuclear fuel: the lab-work behind the numbers

Computational modelling for spent nuclear fuel (SNF) characterization is already widely used and continuously further developed for a plethora of safety related applications and licensing issues in SNF management. An essential step in the development of these methodologies is the validation: the demonstration that the SNF elemental and isotopic composition is sufficiently accurate predicted by the code calculations. This validation step requires experimentally measured nuclide concentrations in SNF, together with an estimation of related uncertainties. The SFCOMPO 2.0 database of OECD/NEA1 is a database of such publicly available assay data of SNF. The aim of this article is to explain users of such datasets the complex analytical pathway towards these assay data. Points of attention, challenges and pitfalls all along the analytical pathway will be discussed, from sampling, dissolution procedures, necessary dilutions and separations, available analytical techniques, related uncertainties, up to reporting of the results. Also for modelers, a proper understanding of all analytical steps (including all uncertainties involved) is essential. It could/should help them in assessing the ‘fit-for-validation’ requirement of the experimental dataset.

VAN WINCKEL Stefaan;  ALVAREZ SARANDES LAVANDERA Rafael;  SERRANO PURROY Daniel;  ALDAVE DE LAS HERAS Laura; 

2023-07-25

FRONTIERS MEDIA SA

JRC133044

2296-598X (online),   

https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fenrg.2023.1168460/full,    https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC133044,   

10.3389/fenrg.2023.1168460 (online),