Comparison of Radionuclide Releases from a Conceptual Geological Repository for RBMK-1500 and BWR Spent Nuclear Fuel

2014 ◽  
Vol 185 (3) ◽  
pp. 322-335 ◽  
Author(s):  
Povilas Poskas ◽  
Asta Narkuniene ◽  
Dalia Grigaliuniene ◽  
Stefan Finsterle
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Fuel ◽  
Spent Nuclear Fuel ◽  
Geological Repository

Developing a Concept for a National Used Fuel Interim Storage Facility in the United States

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donald Wayne Lewis
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Nuclear Fuel ◽  
Nuclear Waste ◽  
Spent Nuclear Fuel ◽  
The United States ◽  
Yucca Mountain ◽  
Storage Facility ◽  
Spent Fuel ◽  
Geological Repository ◽  
Interim Storage

In the United States (U.S.) the nuclear waste issue has plagued the nuclear industry for decades. Originally, spent fuel was to be reprocessed but with the threat of nuclear proliferation, spent fuel reprocessing has been eliminated, at least for now. In 1983, the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 [1] was established, authorizing development of one or more spent fuel and high-level nuclear waste geological repositories and a consolidated national storage facility, called a “Monitored Retrievable Storage” facility, that could store the spent nuclear fuel until it could be placed into the geological repository. Plans were under way to build a geological repository, Yucca Mountain, but with the decision by President Obama to terminate the development of Yucca Mountain, a consolidated national storage facility that can store spent fuel for an interim period until a new repository is established has become very important. Since reactor sites have not been able to wait for the government to come up with a storage or disposal location, spent fuel remains in wet or dry storage at each nuclear plant. The purpose of this paper is to present a concept developed to address the DOE’s goals stated above. This concept was developed over the past few months by collaboration between the DOE and industry experts that have experience in designing spent nuclear fuel facilities. The paper examines the current spent fuel storage conditions at shutdown reactor sites, operating reactor sites, and the type of storage systems (transportable versus non-transportable, welded or bolted). The concept lays out the basis for a pilot storage facility to house spent fuel from shutdown reactor sites and then how the pilot facility can be enlarged to a larger full scale consolidated interim storage facility.

Radionuclide behaviour in the near-field of a geological repository for spent nuclear fuel

2012 ◽  
Vol 100 (8-9) ◽  
pp. 699-713 ◽  
Author(s):  
Volker Metz ◽  
Horst Geckeis ◽  
Ernesto Gonzáles-Robles ◽  
Andreas Loida ◽  
Christiane Bube ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Fuel ◽  
Spent Nuclear Fuel ◽  
Near Field ◽  
Geological Repository

Mechanisms governing the release of radionuclides from spent nuclear fuel in geological repository: major outcomes of the European Project SFS

2006 ◽  
Vol 932 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christophe Poinssot ◽  
Cécile Ferry ◽  
Bernd Grambow ◽  
Manfred Kelm ◽  
Kastriot Spahiu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Fuel ◽  
Spent Nuclear Fuel ◽  
Kinetic Scheme ◽  
Water Radiolysis ◽  
Large Set ◽  
Spent Fuel ◽  
Fuel Performance ◽  
Geological Repository ◽  
The Matrix ◽  
Release Model

ABSTRACTEuropean Commission supported a wide research project entitled “Spent Fuel Stability under repository conditions” (SFS) within the 5th FWP, the aim of which was to develop a common understanding of the radionuclides release from spent nuclear fuel in geological disposal and build a RN release model in order to assess the fuel performance. This project achieved by the end of 2004 focuses both on the Instant Release Fraction (IRF) model and the Matrix Alteration Model (MAM).A new IRF model was developed based on the anticipated performances of the various fuel microstructures (gap, rim, grains boundaries) and the potential diffusion of RN before the canister breaching. However, this model lets the choice to the end-user about the degree of conservativeness to consider.In addition, fuel alteration has been demonstrated to be linked to the production of radiolytic oxidants by water radiolysis at the fuel interface, the oxidation of the fuel interface by radiolytic oxidants and the subsequent release of uranium under the influence of aqueous ligands. A large set of experimental data was therefore acquired in order (i) to upgrade the current radiolytic kinetic scheme, (ii) to experimentally correlate the fuel alteration rate and the fuel specific alpha activity by performing experiments on alpha doped samples, (iii) to experimentally test the potential inhibitor effect of hydrogen on fuel dissolution. Based on these results, a new MAM was developed, which was also calibrated using the experiments on inactive UO2 samples. This model was finally applied to representative granitic, salt and clayey environment to predict spent fuel long-term fuel performance.

Characterization of selenium in UO2spent nuclear fuel by micro X-ray absorption spectroscopy and its thermodynamic stability

2015 ◽  
Vol 17 (10) ◽  
pp. 1760-1768 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Curti ◽  
A. Puranen ◽  
D. Grolimund ◽  
D. Jädernas ◽  
D. Sheptyakov ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Radioactive Waste ◽  
Fission Product ◽  
Nuclear Fuel ◽  
Absorption Spectroscopy ◽  
Thermodynamic Stability ◽  
Spent Nuclear Fuel ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Geological Repository ◽  
X Ray Absorption

The long-lived fission product79Se is tightly bound to the UO2lattice in spent nuclear fuel; it will thus be released only very slowly from a geological repository for radioactive waste.

scholarly journals Advances in Development of the Fission Product Extraction Process for the Separation of Cesium and Strontium From Spent Nuclear Fuel

2007 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jack Law ◽  
Dean Peterman ◽  
Cathy Riddle ◽  
David Meikrantz ◽  
Terry Todd
Keyword(s):  
Fission Product ◽  
Nuclear Fuel ◽  
Spent Nuclear Fuel ◽  
Fuel Cycle ◽  
Feed Solution ◽  
The United States ◽  
Department Of Energy ◽  
Hydrodynamic Performance ◽  
United States Department ◽  
Geological Repository

The Fission Product Extraction (FPEX) Process is being developed as part of the United States Department of Energy Advanced Fuel Cycle Initiative for the simultaneous separation of cesium (Cs) and strontium (Sr) from spent light water reactor (LWR) fuel. Separation of the Cs and Sr will reduce the short-term heat load in a geological repository, and when combined with the separation of americium (Am) and curium (Cm), could increase the capacity of the geological repository by a factor of approximately 100. The FPEX process is based on two highly specific extractants: 4,4',(5')-Di-(t-butyldicyclo-hexano)-18-crown-6 (DtBuCH18C6) and Calix[4]arene-bis-(tertoctylbenzo-crown-6) (BOBCalixC6). The DtBuCH18C6 extractant is selective for strontium and the BOBCalixC6 extractant is selective for cesium. Results of flowsheet testing of the FPEX process with a simulated feed solution in 3.3-cm centrifugal contactors are detailed. Removal efficiencies, distribution coefficient data, coextraction of metals, and process hydrodynamic performance are discussed along with recommendations for future flowsheet testing with actual spent nuclear fuel.

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