DEVELOPMENT OF A HANDHELD URANIUM HEXAFLUORIDE SAMPLING DEVICE

摘要

Sampling of uranium hexafluoride for destructive analysis is a common practice for both consumer acceptance and state declaration verification. Based on the ABACC Cristallini method, which traps the material as an inert uranyl salt, Argonne National Laboratory is developing a portable implementation that can be brought to a site for use rather than being installed at the facility. This device is based on the concept of providing an active vacuum system to directly pull uranium hexafluoride into a removable sample container rather than relying on a passive vacuum differential or cryogenic fluid. The sample cartridges would contain the inert uranyl fluoride salt, which reduces the regulatory burden surrounding transport of the samples. Additionally, the device has the potential capability of sampling homogenized cylinders in the plant storage facility. This concept was demonstrated in FY 16 in a laboratory setting and is currently being integrated into a unit suitable for field testing. The system has been shown to capture 35-50 mg of uranium (as uranyl fluoride) in less than 10 seconds; an additional 3-5 minutes is required to setup a sample cartridge and prepare a collection. Aspects of the system development including engineering considerations (Size/Weight/Power), collection parameters (CONOPs) and sample characteristics (e.g., cross contamination evaluations) will be presented.