QUICK AND EFFECTIVE
In Canada, significant results were achieved during field trials
of an unattended verification system for the verification of spent
fuel. Called the Spent Fuel Transfer Monitor (SFTM), the system
was installed at the Bruce nuclear generating station. A paper
by Mr. Bernard Wishard, Ms. June Ahn, Mr. Peter Ikonomou, and
Mr. Jean Aragon of the IAEA Department of Safeguards and Mr. Martin
Moeslinger of Canberra-Packard reported on test results of the
SFTM (pictured here). The system automatically counts, verifies,
and stores a spectrum on each Candu bundle of spent fuel transferred
from primary to secondary wet storage at rates of up to two bundles
per second. Without the use of SFTM, spent fuel bundles have to
be visually counted and verified by an IAEA inspector using conventional
equipment, a multi-channel analyzer. Among other things, the process
required 150 person-days of inspection and was intrusive, requiring
stoppage of the transfer and movement of the bundles to enable
the collection of a spectrum. The SFTM, which automatically verifies
all spent fuel bundles rather than just those selected randomly,
is remotely accessible via a secured modem connection, allowing
data to be transmitted over a telephone line. It is estimated
that the SFTM could save the IAEA more than 120 person-days of
inspection (i.e. more than two inspectors) per year at the Bruce
facility.
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