NEUTRON EMISSION MEASUREMENTS OF PWR SPENT FUEL SEGMENTS AND PRELIMINARY VALIDATION OF DEPLETION CALCULATIONS

Assessing neutron emission of LWR spent fuel is necessary for the back-end cycle, such as dimensioning transport and storage casks fuel. Although core depletion codes can calculate isotopic composition discharged therefore infer its source, accurate measured values remain rare mainly because difficulty to prepare, handle characterize Measured are, however, extremely relevant code validation, neutrons emitted by originates from spontaneous fissions minor actinides (e.g., 242 Cm, 244 Cm 252 Cf) that are produced only after a large number captures in reactor core. This paper reports on measurements selected LWR-PROTEUS samples their comparisons with calculation chains based CASMO-5, SIMULATE-3 SNF codes. The comprised 11 irradiated Swiss PWR. UO2 or MOX have discharge burn-ups ranging 20 120 GWd/t. We 40-cm long hot-cell Paul Scherrer Institut using measurement station made polyethylene BF3 detector. repeated several times different conditions ensure accuracy reproducibility results. derived ratios rates absolute comparison reference Cf which we re-calibrated this exercise. experimental uncertainty (1?) varies 3% 4%. compared subset predictions showed an agreement within less than 7% all but one sample.