Gross Gamma Dose Rate Measurements for TRIGA Spent Nuclear Fuel Burnup Validation

Gross gamma-ray dose rates from six spent TRIGA fuel elements were measured and compared to calculated values as a means to validate the reported element burnups. A newly installed and functional gamma-ray detection subsystem of the In-Cell Examination System was used to perform the measurements and is described in some detail. The analytical methodology used to calculate the corresponding dose rates is presented along with the calculated values. Comparison of the measured and calculated dose rates for the TRIGA fuel elements indicates good agreement (less than a factor of 2 difference). The intent of the subsystem is to measure the gross gamma dose rate and correlate the measurement to a calculated dose rate based on the element s known burnup and other pertinent spent fuel information. Although validation of the TRIGA elements’ burnup is of primary concern in this paper, the measurement and calculational techniques can be used to either validate an element’s reported burnup or provide a burnup estimate for an element with an unknown burnup.