In-Place Filter Tester Instrument for Nuclear Material Containers

Area of Science:

• Nuclear Engineering
• Materials Science
• Safety Engineering

Background:

• The U.S. Department of Energy utilizes thousands of canisters for nuclear material storage.
• Canister integrity, including filter function and container seals, is crucial for safety, preventing radioactive contamination.
• Existing methods for assessing canister integrity may require disassembly, posing logistical and safety challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a portable instrument for evaluating the "as found" condition of nuclear material storage canisters in-situ.
• To determine filter clogging and container leakage in unopened canisters.
• To enhance safety protocols for nuclear material storage by providing a non-destructive testing method.

Main Methods:

• Development of a portable In-Place Filter Tester (IPFT).
• Customized suction clamping interfaces for two specific canister types used at Los Alamos National Laboratory.
• Experimental simulation of leakage scenarios: fouled O-rings, cracked O-rings, and loose lids.

Main Results:

• The prototype tester measures air leakage rates from 8.2 × 10⁻⁷ mL/s to 3.0 × 10⁻³ mL/s.
• The measurement range is sufficient to detect leaks exceeding the Los Alamos helium leak criterion for post-drop tested canisters (3.4 × 10⁻⁵ mL/s).
• The IPFT provides in-situ assessment of assembled canisters, unlike disassembly-required helium leak testing.

Conclusions:

• The developed portable instrument effectively assesses filter clogging and container leakage in nuclear material storage canisters.
• The In-Place Filter Tester offers a valuable non-destructive method for ensuring the integrity of in-situ canisters.
• This technology enhances worker and public safety by enabling proactive detection of potential containment breaches.