COMPUCEA 2nd generation performance evaluation

COMPUCEA (Combined Procedure for Uranium Concentration and Enrichment Assay) is used for on-site analytical measurements in support of joint Euratom-IAEA inspections during physical inventory verification (PIV) campaigns in European Low-Enriched Uranium (LEU) fuel fabrication plants. The analyses provided on site during the PIV involve the accurate determination of the uranium element content and of the U-235 enrichment in verification samples (uranium product samples of solid form , i.e. powders, pellets) selected by the Safeguards inspectors. These samples are dissolved and then measured by energy-dispersive X-ray absorption edge spectrometry (L-edge densitometry) to obtain the uranium elemental content and gamma spectrometry with a Lanthanum-bromide detector for the U-235 abundance determination. The second generation of COMPUCEA equipment is compact, rugged and ready-to use directly after transport, no cooling of the detectors with liquid nitrogen is required. A software package for comfortable instrument control and data handling has been implemented. The paper describes the technique, setup and calibration procedure of the instrument. Results from PIV campaigns and comparisons between COMPUCEA results with data obtained by remote analysis with a qualified primary analytical method are presented, which demonstrate the performance of the technique. The achieved uncertainties are well within the international target values. First results obtained with a sandwich detector configuration for enhanced detection efficiency of the passive gamma spectrometry and a small separate X-ray fluorescence unit for the pre-screening of the samples for their Gd content are discussed.

ERDMANN Nicole;  ALBERT Noelle;  AMADOR CELDRAN Pedro;  EBERLE Heinrich;  LUETZENKIRCHEN Klaus;  OTTMAR H.;  SCHORLE Helene;  VAN BELLE Pieter;  LIPCSEI F.;  SCHWALBACH Peter;  JUNG S.;  LAFOLIE R.; 

2012-05-22

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)

JRC61869

http://www.iaea.org/OurWork/SV/Safeguards/Symposium/2010/Documents/PapersRepository/316.pdf,    https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC61869,