The use of safeguards data for process purposes

Nuclear materials accounting is an important part of nuclear fuel cycle operations. It provides assurance that nuclear material is present and at its proper location. The materials accounting system can also provide information that is useful to operations. A modern materials control and accounting (MC ampersand A) system can monitor equipment performance, holdup accumulation, and operational safety. A modern MC ampersand A operation can provide information on process systems where measurements do not exist or are impractical. The operational benefits of an integrated process control/near-real-time materials accounting system are many. Computerized MC ampersand A systems available in modern process plants allow closure of material balances on individual material movements or process operations. Frequent closures on sub-materials balance areas or individual process vessels localize and identify process problems in a timely manner. The MC ampersand A system has been used to monitor process equipment performance and detect the unplanned loss of material when the normal process control systems were incapable of detecting problems