Concept of a new Glove Box Cleanout Assistance Tool (BCAT) by using distributed source-term analysis (DSTA)

Nakamura, Hironobu ; Beddingfield, D. H.*; Nakamichi, Hideo; Kurita, Tsutomu 

The Distributed Source-Term Analysis (DSTA) technique has been used in a variety of safeguards applications to determine location and quantity of material contained within large sample volumes. It can provide user with knowledge of the location of neutron-producing materials and magnitude of the localized activity. Operator can use this information to identify the physical location of holdup during cleanout operations. In this paper, we present the concept of using the DSTA method as a (BCAT) that is used by operator during cleanout to increase recovered material, to decrease unmeasured inventory, and to perform the cleanout activity effectively in order to reduce operator radiation-exposure. We confirmed good consistency between the difference of neutron activity before and after cleanout calculated by BCAT and neutron activity of actual recovered material.