Procedures for the accounting and control of nuclear materials in large research centres, as related to the needs of international safeguards

In signatory states of the Non-Proliferation Treaty nuclear material is subject to the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency. The IAEA safeguards concept intended for nuclear material has, so far, been predominantly applied to nuclear facilities of the nuclear fuel cycle. It is the aim of this report to consider the applicability of these control measures to a nuclear research centre. The report refers to the concrete example of the Juelich Nuclear Research Centre (KFA). The particular features of a nuclear research centre and the handling of nuclear material in the KFA are described. A review is given of the various licence areas and permitted handling quantities as well as of the inventories and flow of nuclear material. The concept of a control system for a nuclear research centre satisfying the operator's requirements, national requirement and international obligations at the same time is developed along these lines. The essential characteristic of the concept is a far-reaching clarity of the distribution of nuclear material items within the Nuclear Research Centre. The clarity desired will be achieved by means of an integrated accountancy system processing all necessary data with the aid of a central computer and remote terminals. The availability of information is based on differentiated material acountancy in conjunction with adequate measurement of nuclear material data. In the case of the KFA two groups are formed by research reactors and critical assemblies. Research institutes and central departments the permitted handling quantities of which do not exceed 5 eff.kg constitute a further group. Two further groups are formed for cases where the permitted handling quantities are above or below 1 eff.kg. The report shows the safeguards measures that can be applied in certain circumstances and conditions in a nuclear research centre