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Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
Cs-137 sealed source lost in Western Australia
A rendering of the sealed source capsule’s appearance. (Image: DFES)
Authorities are searching 1,400 kilometers (870 miles) of Australia’s Great Northern Highway, between Perth and the remote town of Newman, for a lost sealed-source capsule containing cesium-137. The source was part of a density gauge used by mining company Rio Tinto at its mining operations in Western Australia.
The Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) of Western Australia reported that the density gauge containing a 6-mm-diameter (0.24-inch-diameter) by 8-mm-height (0.31-inch-height) source capsule was sent by flatbed truck to Perth for repair, leaving Rio Tinto’s Gudai-Darri mine site in Western Australia on January 12 and arriving in Perth on January 16. The package containing the gauge, however, was not inspected until January 25.
Upon opening the package, it was found that the gauge was broken apart with one of four mounting bolts missing. The source itself and all screws on the gauge were also missing. It is assumed that vibrations from the truck broke the gauge apart and allowed the screws and capsule to fall through the bolt hole and away from the truck. DFES said they were notified of the loss on the evening of January 25.
Jinan Yang, Stephen C. Wilson, Scott W. Mosher, Georgeta Radulescu
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 74 | Number 4 | November 2018 | Pages 277-287
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.1080/15361055.2018.1493325
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The ITER International Organization has developed a number of reference Monte Carlo N-Particle (MCNP) models including the tokamak machine C-model, the Tokamak Complex model, and the neutral beam injection (NBI) systems model. The Tokamak Complex model primarily describes building structures beyond the bioshield. Representation of the tokamak and its systems are not included in this model. The Oak Ridge National Laboratory Radiation Transport Group has conducted two ITER neutronic analysis model integrations: (1) integration of the tokamak C-model with the Tokamak Complex model for shutdown dose rate characterization in Port Cell 16 at level B1, and (2) integration of the NBI model with the Tokamak Complex model for estimating the spatial distribution of biological dose rate at levels L1, L2, and L3 of the Tokamak Complex. The integrated models were further extended to include models of system components that are essential to the neutronic analyses. This paper presents the approach and computer tools used to integrate existing reference models, describes the additional design details implemented in the integrated models, and provides representative neutronic calculations based on the extended models.
