Field tests of the MICADO monitoring detectors in real radwaste storages

Abstract

In the framework of the MICADO project, funded by Euratom H2020 program, a system of gamma ray and neutron counters was developed. These counters are meant to be deployed as a monitoring grid around radwaste drums in low and/or intermediate waste storage sites, even though they could be usefully employed also for high level waste. A prototype of the MICADO gamma and neutron monitoring grid was installed and tested around real radwaste drums in two storage sites on the ORANO and NUCLECO premises, at La Hague and Casaccia respectively. A modular support structure, was assembled in four units in order to accommodate four radwaste drums. Each support unit hosted four gamma ray counters and four neutron counters. In both cases the units were installed around four radwaste drums also containing small or tiny quantities of actinides, and data were acquired. The results are quite promising as the system behaved as expected from previous tests and from the nominal radiological info about the drums.

Keywords

• radwaste monitoring
• neutron counter
• gamma counter