How well does ORIGEN predict spent LWR [Light Water Reactor] fuel characteristics

The ORIGEN computer code is widely used to estimate the radionuclide content (actinides, activation and fission products) of irradiated reactor fuel and the resultant heat generation and radiation levels associated with such fuel. These estimates are used as source terms in safety evaluations of operating reactors, for evaluation of fuel behavior and regulation of the at-reactor storage, for transportation studies, and for evaluation of the ultimate geologic storage of the fuel. Calculated values determined using several variations of ORIGEN have been compared with experimentally determined values for actual fuel for many, but not all, of the parameters desired. In most cases, the comparisons did not use the most recent ORIGEN2 program, the most recent data libraries, or currently required quality assurance (QA) procedures. Comparisons of fuel composition data with ORIGEN2 are very limited, and the only data with proper QA are currently being acquired by Battelle Pacific Northwest Laboratory. This survey summarizes the fuel data available in the open literature and, where given, the calculated values by ORIGEN. Plans for additional analyses of well-characterized reactor fuel samples to improve the validation of ORIGEN2 are discussed