INSIDER UC2: the BR3 biological shield preliminary results and future work

Wouter Broeckx,Ronny Vandyck,Nico Mangelschots,Sven Boden,Bart Rogiers,Greet Verstrepen,Laura Aldave De Las Heras,Danièle Roudil

doi:10.1051/epjn/2019054

Wouter Broeckx, Ronny Vandyck + Show 6 more

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https://doi.org/10.1051/epjn/2019054

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Abstract

Aiming at economical optimization, the characterisation of the biological shield of the Belgian Reactor 3 is one of the three use cases intended to validate the integrated characterization methodology developed within the INSIDER project. Pre-existing data were used to define the sampling design strategy. The additional sampling and analysis program consisted of total gamma measurements at the inner surface of the biological shield (secondary data) and gamma spectrometry measurements on drill core samples (primary data). The newly acquired data is supplemented with the historical available data. The full data set currently consists of a total of 283 secondary and 379 primary data points. Preliminary calculations already provide a clear-cut representation of the three different end-stage classes: unconditional clearance, conditional clearance and radioactive waste. On the short term, the current model will be further refined and completed with proper risk evaluation. On the longer term, we envisage a global uncertainty calculation and sensitivity analysis of the entire process.

Highlights

The EURATOM work program project INSIDER (Improved Nuclear SIte characterization for waste minimization in Decommissioning under constrained EnviRonment) aims at improving the management of contaminated materials arising from decommissioning and dismantling (D&D) operations
The characterisation of the biological shield of the Belgian Reactor 3 is one of the three use cases intended to validate the integrated characterization methodology developed within the INSIDER project
The liner Co-60 specific activity was interpolated on the inner surface of the biological shield, as a smooth function of the projected x and z coordinates, and the corresponding distance to the former fuel

Summary

Introduction

The EURATOM work program project INSIDER (Improved Nuclear SIte characterization for waste minimization in Decommissioning under constrained EnviRonment) aims at improving the management of contaminated materials arising from decommissioning and dismantling (D&D) operations. The INSIDER partners selected three case studies in order to validate the improved integrated characterisation methodology. The biological shield of the Belgian Reactor 3 (BR3) has been chosen for the second case (UC2) dealing with the decommissioning of a nuclear reactor. The main goal of the radiological characterization program is to economically optimize the biological shield dismantling strategy, using a waste-led approach. In order to reach this main goal, we established three sub objectives: – create a 3D specific activity distribution map; – quantify and localize the different end-stage volumes; and – economically optimize volumes in view of a waste-led approach

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