Safeguarding of a UREX+ facility: Feasibility testing of a reactor plant operator advisory system with real-time data from a representative solvent extraction process

ANL is currently developing a software package that will use trend analysis of data from inline/on-line instrumentation to increase the safeguardability of a nuclear fuel reprocessing plant. The software combines signal trend information from the plant process thermal-hydraulic (T-H) and non-T-H instrumentation to (1) significantly increase the resolution achievable for in-process inventory imbalances with (2) early detection of non-declared reconfiguration of the process plant which would divert material below the triggering threshold over a period of time (i.e. a protracted diversion scenario). IGENPRO is based on the ANL-developed software packages MSET and PRODIAG that are used for detecting and localizing process anomalies in nuclear reactor plant thermal-hydraulic systems. Real-time data from a representative solvent extraction flowsheet of the UREX+ process is being used to allow the software to demarcate the bounds of normal operation of the selected process. The developed software will then be tested against a set of diversion scenarios using real-time process data. Because of its ultra-sensitive early detection capabilities of process anomalies, the IGENPRO software would also be a valuable tool for the management of plant operations.