DeepCore

© BMBF

DeepCore: Development of a Quantitative Core Inventory Verifier ​

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 BRIEF DESCRIPTION

Within the scope of the present project, a non-invasive method based on zero power measurement methods will be developed which, on the one hand, allow nuclear material verification in the subcritical reactor state and, on the other hand, allow quantitative statements about the nuclear material composition, focusing on zero power reactors and smaller critical assemblies. Zero power measurement methods allow reliable measurement of reactor kinetic parameters, such as the Rossi-alpha, which is an invariant quantity of the underlying system for a defined critical assembly design condition. If the Rossi-alpha value changes from inspection to inspection, this could only be explained by a change in the material and geometry configuration of the reactor core.

In the proposed project, various zero power measurement techniques will be extensively tested and evaluated for their suitability to reliably detect changes in the nuclear material inventory, taking into account IAEA and EURATOM requirements. As a result, a method will be provided that can be reliably applied as a complementary method to the existing CT within the framework of nuclear material inspections and that does not require any significant intervention in reactor operation. Depending on the achievable measurement deviations, quantitative statements can be made about the nuclear material or core configuration, which can make a significant contribution to increasing proliferation safety.