Uranium Enrichment Calculations Online

[raymcginnis]

Most of the software code contained in the desktop version of the Uranium Enrichment Calculator (separate software package from Rad Pro Calculator) was ported to the online Rad Pro Calculator: http://www.radprocalculator.com/UraniumEnrichment.aspx

Before, the online page only gave the user enrichment.  Now it gives you activity ratios, mass fractions, ppm, etc.  These calculations are not only useful for fuel calculations, but are also very useful for environmental levels of uranium.  Usually for environmental soil and groundwater samples, the U-235 is below the detection limit and the only detected numbers are for U-234 and U-238.  The software and now web page allow you to enter the U-234 and U-238 data and calculate the % U-235 enrichment.  If you are at a site that once had enriched uranium or depleted uranium, you can use the software to help prove that soil and groundwater after cleanup contain only natural uranium (0.71% U-235 by mass).  If there were man-enhanced uranium still present, the enrichment would not be close to 0.71%.

It is also useful for calculating the overall uranium enrichment in a waste container, especially for sites that deal with or dealt with varying uranium fuel enrichments and depletions.

A new use was just brought to my attention.  Some EPA limits for water are expressed in micrograms/liter total uranium.  The labs usually give you activity per liter, i.e. pCi/L.  The web page gives you mass of total U per liter, given U-234 and U-238 lab activity data (ug/L, g/L and ppm).

The desktop version, recently upgraded to version 2.0, is still available at: http://www.radprocalculator.com/Software.aspx

[Rennhack]

Thanks.