Continuous Load Cell Monitoring: Verifying Nuclear Material Flows At Enrichment Plants

Abstract

A major aspect of international safeguards involves vigilance in tracking nuclear material by an independent inspectorate. Traditional methods are based on verification of static, batch material flows derived from operator declarations, and occasional surveillance of operations through inspector visits. With the planned construction of larger-capacity uranium enrichment plants and the planned, worldwide expansion of nuclear processing infrastructure, measures such as continuous, multi-layered operations monitoring are becoming necessary to ensure effective and efficient safeguards. To this end, new safeguards strategies are being developed that dynamically monitor material flows allowing automatic indication and recording of off-normal events. One strategy is to use load cell data from feed and withdrawal stations as a basic technology for providing continuous confirmation of operator declarations of UF6 inputs and outputs at an enrichment plant. Such a system can be integrated with additional approaches that, together, provide good assurance of operating within declared parameters using automated monitoring techniques. Furthermore, this system can be used to help identify features for "safeguards by design" projects � for example, in which load cells provide an independent digital output for inspector use. A rudimentary, bench-top �process� has been assembled to demonstrate the concept of using a simple process mockup to serve as a test bed for evaluating continuous load cell monitoring as well as other new applications of monitoring technologies in safeguards strategies. This report delineates the success of using such a simple test system be for economically evaluating these technologies for safeguards applications. An enhanced �process� mockup is proposed to provide a more realistic, but still economical, means for testing new equipment and monitoring strategies under dynamic conditions in a laboratory setting � without relying on, or interfering with plant operations.