Design and Operational Procedure of Sipping Test for Assessing Leakage of MTR Spent Nuclear Fuel from GA Siwabessy Research Reactor in a Wet Storage Facility

Assessing spent nuclear fuel (SNF) integrity is essential for ensuring radiation safety throughout its storage duration. One of the widely used methods is the sipping test, a nondestructive technique for detecting leaks in SNF by analyzing the release of radioactive material. While sipping tests have been applied to various reactor types, detailed designs and procedures for SNF from the Materials Test Reactor (MTR) remain limited. This study presents the design and operational procedure of a sipping test for MTR-type SNF from the Gerrit Augustinus Siwabessy research reactor in a wet storage facility, covering key components and procedures for the test.The test system is comprised of a custom-designed sipping tube, SNF basket, crane, and supply pipes for demineralized water and compressed air. The results demonstrate efficient system functionality, ensuring safe and smooth SNF handling, effective pool water replacement by demineralized water injection, thorough homogenization before sampling, and reliable test water sampling over multiple test intervals. The findings provide insights into the effectiveness of the sipping test for SNF integrity assessment and contribute to best practices for the management of a wet storage facility.