Partial Defect Evaluation Methodology for Nuclear Safeguards Inspections of Used Nuclear Fuel Using the Digital Cherenkov Viewing Device

This paper describes possible ways of analyzing and interpreting data obtained using the digital Cherenkov viewing device on spent nuclear fuel assemblies for the identification of partial defects in the fuel. According to the terminology of the International Atomic Energy Agency, partial defects refer to items, for instance, fuel assemblies, that are manipulated to the extent that a fraction of the fuel material is diverted or substituted. Analysis can be performed either by using a measure of the total light intensity or by identifying the light distribution pattern emanating from the spent nuclear fuel, the goal of either type of analysis being a quantitative measure that can be used in the data interpretation step. Two possible data interpretation alternatives are presented here: the threshold method and the hypothesis testing method. This paper summarizes some of the simulation studies and results that have been obtained, related to the two analysis and data interpretation methodologies.