Inspection experience with RA-3 spent nuclear fuel assemblies at CNEA's central storage facility

Aluminum-based spent nuclear fuel from Argentina's RA-3 research reactor is to be shipped to the Savannah River Site near Aiken, South Carolina, USA. The spent nuclear fuel contains highly enriched uranium of U.S. origin and is being returned under the US Department of Energy's Foreign Research Reactor/Domestic Research Reactor (FRR/DRR) Receipt Program. An intensive inspection of 207 stored fuel assemblies was conducted to assess shipping cask containment limitations and assembly handling considerations. The inspection was performed with video equipment designed for remote operation, high portability, easy setup and usage. Fuel assemblies were raised from their vertical storage tubes, inspected by remote video, and then returned to their original storage tube or transferred to an alternate location. The inspections were made with three simultaneous video systems, each with dedicated viewing, digital recording, and tele-operated control from a shielded location. All 207 fuel assemblies were safely and successfully inspected in fifteen working days. Total dose to personnel was about one-half of anticipated dose. (author)