Published October 2019 | Version v1
Report Restricted

Automation technique of analytical pre-treatment for radioactive sample measurement using the program written by Visual Basic for Applications

Creators

  • 1. Japan Atomic Energy Agency, Sector of Nuclear Fuel, Decommission and Waste Management Technology Development, Nuclear Fuel Cycle Engineering Laboratories, Tokai, Ibaraki (Japan)
  • 2. Nagaoka University of Technology, Nagaoka, Niigata (Japan)

Description

Analytical devices such as syringe pump, electric burette, fraction collector, and electric valve have been controlled by the program written with Microsoft® Excel® Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) to automate the analytical pre-treatment procedure of radioactive sample measurement. It was confirmed that the program written by VBA could control each device by preparing cables and adjusting parameters. Therefore, automatic conditioning and separation systems were made by combining each device and sequentially controlling them with the program. The automatic conditioning system can repeatedly perform conditioning operation like adding nitric acid onto the maximum of 8 columns. The automation separation system can separate and recover strontium (Sr) in simulated highly active liquid waste (SHAW) by using Eichrom Technologies Sr resin. The Sr concentration in recovered sample solution agreed well with the value obtained by manual separation procedure and prepared Sr concentration in SHAW. It is found that the developed automation method, using commercially available Microsoft® Excel® is effective to reduce labor work, operator's radiation exposure, and to prevent operational error of analysis, together with reducing the cost of automation. (author)

Availability note (English)

Also available from JAEA; URL: https://doi.org/10.11484/jaea-technology-2019-014

Abstract (Japanese)

グローブボックス, 遮蔽セル内で実施している放射性試料分析の前処理法であるカラム分離操作を自動化するため、Microsoft製Excel Visual Basic for Applications(VBAマクロ)でプログラムを作成し、シリンジポンプ, 電動ビュレット, フラクションコレクター, 電動バルブを制御した。各機器に合わせてケーブルを製作し、通信設定を調整した結果、プログラム通りに操作できることがわかった。そこで、VBAマクロで各機器を逐次的に制御した自動コンディショニング装置と自動分離装置を製作した。自動コンディショニング装置では最大8本のカラムへ、硝酸の添加と静置の操作を繰り返し自動で行うことができた。また、自動分離装置では、Srを吸着・溶離可能なEichrom Technologies製Srレジンを用いて、模擬高放射性廃液中のSrを良好に分離・回収することができた。汎用ソフトであるVBAマクロを利用した本法は、作業の省力化、作業者の被ばく低減、分析の誤操作を防止することができ分析操作の自動化に有効であると共に、自動化に係るコストの大幅な削減も期待できる。(著者)

Files

Restricted

The record is publicly accessible, but files are restricted to users with access.

Additional details

Additional titles

Original title (Japanese)
Visual Basic for Applicationsを利用した放射性試料分析のための前処理法の自動化技術

Identifiers

DOI
10.11484/jaea-technology-2019-014;

Publishing Information

Imprint Pagination
78 p.
Report number
JAEA-Technology--2019-014

INIS

Country of Publication
Japan
Country of Input or Organization
Japan
INIS RN
51004280
Subject category
S11: NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; S37: INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY;
Descriptors DEI
AUTOMATION; EXTRACTION COLUMNS; HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES; HUMAN FACTORS; ISOTOPE SEPARATION; LIQUID WASTES; MASS SPECTROSCOPY; NITRIC ACID; NUCLEAR MATERIALS MANAGEMENT; PERSONAL COMPUTERS; PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES; RADIATION PROTECTION; STRONTIUM; TOKAI REPROCESSING PLANT
Descriptors DEC
ALKALINE EARTH METALS; COMPUTERS; DIGITAL COMPUTERS; ELEMENTS; EQUIPMENT; EXTRACTION APPARATUSES; FUEL REPROCESSING PLANTS; HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS; INORGANIC ACIDS; INORGANIC COMPOUNDS; MANAGEMENT; MATERIALS; METALS; MICROCOMPUTERS; NITROGEN COMPOUNDS; NUCLEAR FACILITIES; OXYGEN COMPOUNDS; RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS; RADIOACTIVE WASTES; SEPARATION EQUIPMENT; SEPARATION PROCESSES; SPECTROSCOPY; WASTES

Optional Information

Notes
12 refs., 17 figs., 7 tabs.