Sensor Fusion: Comprehensive Real-Time, On-Line Monitoring for Process Control via Visible, Near-Infrared, and Raman...

Area of Science:

• Nuclear Chemistry
• Analytical Chemistry
• Process Engineering

Background:

• On-line optical spectroscopy offers valuable insights into chemical process streams.
• Sensor fusion, combining multiple spectroscopic techniques, enhances analytical capabilities for complex mixtures.
• Nuclear fuel recycling involves intricate processes with numerous target and interfering chemical species.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate the application of combined optical spectroscopy techniques for analyzing used nuclear fuel recycling streams.
• To quantify multiple actinides and nitric acid in real-time within complex process environments.
• To enable immediate process control and product stream generation based on real-time analytical data.

Main Methods:

• Integration of visible absorbance, near-infrared absorbance, and Raman spectroscopy.
• Application of chemometric modeling for quantitative analysis of spectral data.
• Real-time monitoring of chemical composition in nuclear fuel recycling streams.

Main Results:

• Successful quantification of plutonium (Pu), uranium (U), neptunium (Np), and nitric acid (HNO3) in recycling streams.
• Demonstrated ability to achieve real-time process control based on spectroscopic analysis.
• Enabled the generation of a product stream with a controlled composition ratio.

Conclusions:

• Sensor fusion of multiple optical spectroscopic techniques provides a powerful tool for analyzing complex chemical processes.
• Real-time monitoring and quantification are crucial for effective control of nuclear fuel recycling.
• This approach significantly advances the capability to manage and optimize challenging chemical environments.