Waste Assay

Waste Assay Overview
Italian Decomissioning Site

The safe and economical disposal of radioactive waste is a major preoccupation on many licensed nuclear sites. Prior to disposal, waste must be characterised according to its level and type of activity and certified. Burial regulations vary from country to country, but universally the cost of burial of radioactive material is high. Accurate measurements can help to minimize burial costs. Waste may come in a variety of forms, and activity levels. Sample numbers may be small, allowing the use of manual systems, or for large throughput requirements automated conveyors may be required. ORTEC has a range of assay systems capable of helping in the assay and segregation of waste streams of many types, incorporating ORTEC high performance spectrometric components and software.

Which NDA system is right for your application?

Instrument Uranium Plutonium Fission/Activation Products Comments

QED or
AURAS-3000 Most sensitive; for light waste

ISO-CART Handles large badly characterized samples

Passive Neutron Spontaneous Fission Nuclides

Active Well Passive or Active modes

TGS Large or small container: highest accuracy

AURAS-3000 Free Release Waste Assay Counter

AURAS-3000 is a highly automated system for measuring a variety of sample sizes and forms (bags, boxes, barrels, and B25 containers), with densities approximately in the range of 100 kg/m3 to 2000 kg/m3. The system uses four ORTEC IDM (interchangeable detector module), mechanically cooled HPGe spectrometers. The IDMs simplify the mechanical design and improve the serviceability.

Analysis of spectra is performed with the ORTEC ISOTOPIC waste assay software operating under the control of a user interface developed with National Instruments LabVIEW. Detection limits better than 0.01 Bq/g are generally achievable in a 40 minute count for low density materials.

Free Release Assay of large waste containers up to 3 m3: B25 ISO box, smaller boxes, 220L barrels.
Container Weights up to 6000 kg, with on-line weighing to 3000 kg and 1 kg resolution.
Full Quantitative Assay of all detectable gamma emitters, with non-gamma emitter estimates by correlated scaling factors.
High sensitivity from four large area integrated HPGe detectors (85 mm diameter).
Individual and averaged activity and MDA reporting.

Download the AURAS-3000 brochure.

QED Low Level Waste Assay and Segregation System Model 3400-210

Antech QED

An easy to use, reliable and robust solution to free release sentencing of containerized radioactive waste.

This gamma-ray system is designed for measurements down to very low levels of activity. It consists of three HPGe coaxial detectors housed in a steel shield which will accommodate a 208 litre drum.

Detection limits easily meet free release levels resultingin cost savings
Supports 208 liter (55 gal.) containers and smaller boxes
Container weighing up to 725 kg (1600 lbs) via load cell
Automatic drum handling conveyor options
High sensitivity LN2-free HPGe detectors with advanced digital signal processing electronics
Flexible reporting

Download the QED brochure.

Tomographic Gamma Scanner (TGS)

Antech TGS For: Assay of drummed waste, potentially containing inhomogeneous matrices (e.g. scrap, decommissioning waste).

The Model 3800 Combined Tomographic Gamma Scanner for up to 400 liter drums combines the functions of a TGS, SGS, and Pu Isotopic System (using the PC/FRAM code) in one skid mounted instrument.

One instrument provides total Assay result combining TGS measurement of U, Pu and other Radionuclides with Pu isotopic ratio analysis using LANL PC/FRAM code
TGS technique meets both safeguards and WIPP measurement and QA requirements
Provides tomographic maps of absorbers and sources in heterogeneous matrices
Extends range of SGS technique to hertogenious samples. For homogeneous samples the ANTECH TGS can operate as an SGS using ANTECH ARTEMIS-2 software
A single calibration constant can be employed for each radio nuclide determined due to the bias reduction inherent in the TGS technique
Measures samples with Am-241 content which cannot be measured with neutron techniques
Accuracy and precision sufficient to meet safeguards, shipping and disposal requirements
Gamma-ray based NDA technique for the assay of U, Pu and radio nuclides in waste, based on licensed LANL TGS technology
Incorporates Tomographic Gamma Scanner (TGS) Segmented Gamma Scanner (SGS) and plutonium
Isotopic Ratio Measurement capability in one instrument
Automatic gamma-ray energy calibration using the Se-75 transmission source
Transmission corrections are achieved using SE-75 transmission source to develop a 3D spatial map of the attenuation coefficient of the sample
Manual or automatic drum loading
Measurement time of typically less than one hour. Increased accuracy and precision can be achieved by extending the measurement time
Mobile operator control console which is compatible with both Drum TGS and UGS for cans, which can be local or remote from the instrument
Accuracy is typically better than 10% for measurement of cans and 20% for matrices with average density 2g/cm3. It is better than 10% for metal scrap matrices

Download the Model 3800 data sheet.