A Non Destructive Method for the Determination of the Uranium and Thorium Content of Powders, Coated Fuel Particles and Fuel Cartridges. Dragon Project Report

Physics requirements for the Dragon Reactor fuel loading limit variations in fuel composition in such a way that the actual loading of uranium and thorium in the reactor must not vary by more than + 5% from the design values [1]. Fabrication of fuel inserts using coated particles requires four stages, as shown in Fig. 1, which illustrates the sequence in a block diagram. Each stage in this sequence can lead to losses, and hence, it is necessary to analyse the quantities of uranium and thorium actually present in order to determine any corrections which may be necessary before continuing with the next stage.