In-Tank Measurement of Solution Density

Area of Science:

• Nuclear engineering
• Analytical chemistry
• Process instrumentation

Background:

• Accurate density measurements are crucial for nuclear material accountability.
• Traditional laboratory analysis of nuclear process solutions involves potential errors and delays.
• In-situ monitoring offers advantages for process control and safety.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish the feasibility of in-tank density determination for nuclear process solutions.
• To achieve precision competitive with laboratory methods.
• To develop a technique for improved nuclear material accountability and process monitoring.

Main Methods:

• Utilized differential pressure measurements between two probes at different heights within a tank.
• Employed a null-operated quartz bourdon type electromanometer for precise differential pressure readings.
• Developed a specific calibration factor for inferring density from differential pressure.

Main Results:

• Achieved a calibration factor with a precision of 2.2 parts in 10,000 for the specific accountability tank.
• Demonstrated that in-tank density determination is feasible with high precision.
• The method eliminates one laboratory error and minimizes another.

Conclusions:

• In-tank density measurement is a viable and precise alternative to laboratory analysis.
• This technique enhances the accuracy of nuclear material accountability.
• The method can also assess solution homogeneity, optimizing sampling for concentration analysis.