scholarly journals A source-term method for determining spent-fuel transport cask containment requirements: Executive summary

1993 ◽  
Author(s):  
T.L. Sanders ◽  
K.D. Seager ◽  
P.C. Reardon
Keyword(s):  
Source Term ◽  
Spent Fuel ◽  
Executive Summary

Evaluation of source term parameters for spent fuel disposal in foreign countries

2016 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 31-54
Author(s):  
Masanobu NAGATA ◽  
Takahiro CHIKAZAWA ◽  
Kuniaki AKAHORI ◽  
Akira KITAMURA ◽  
Yukio TACHI
Keyword(s):  
Source Term ◽  
Spent Fuel ◽  
Foreign Countries

scholarly journals An Automated SeaFAST ICP-DRC-MS Method for the Determination of 90Sr in Spent Nuclear Fuel Leachates

Molecules ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (6) ◽  
pp. 1429 ◽  
Author(s):  
Víctor Vicente Vilas ◽  
Sylvain Millet ◽  
Miguel Sandow ◽  
Luis Iglesias Pérez ◽  
Daniel Serrano-Purroy ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Fuel ◽  
Safety Assessment ◽  
Analytical Approach ◽  
Source Term ◽  
Spent Nuclear Fuel ◽  
Spent Fuel ◽  
Chemical Purification ◽  
Radiochemical Method ◽  
Good Agreement

To reduce uncertainties in determining the source term and evolving condition of spent nuclear fuel is fundamental to the safety assessment. ß-emitting nuclides pose a challenging task for reliable, quantitative determination because both radiometric and mass spectrometric methodologies require prior chemical purification for the removal of interfering activity and isobars, respectively. A method for the determination of 90Sr at trace levels in nuclear spent fuel leachate samples without sophisticated and time-consuming procedures has been established. The analytical approach uses a commercially available automated pre-concentration device (SeaFAST) coupled to an ICP-DRC-MS. The method shows good performances with regard to reproducibility, precision, and LOD reducing the total time of analysis for each sample to 12.5 min. The comparison between the developed method and the classical radiochemical method shows a good agreement when taking into account the associated uncertainties.

Analysis Of Congruent Matrix Release, Precipitation, And Time-Distributed Containment Failure On Spent Fuel Performance

1987 ◽  
Vol 112 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael J. Apted ◽  
David W. Engel
Keyword(s):  
Source Term ◽  
Spent Fuel ◽  
Release Rates ◽  
Waste Package ◽  
Regulatory Limits ◽  
Lower Solubility ◽  
Fractional Abundance ◽  
Congruent Dissolution ◽  
Cesium 137 ◽  
Term Evaluation

AbstractThe Analytical Repository Source-Term (AREST) code has been developed for source-term evaluation of spent fuel as a final waste form in geologic repositories. AREST contains a set of analytical equations for the timedependent diffusional mass transport of both solubility-limited and inventory-limited radionuclides from a spent fuel in a failed container surrounded by a shell of packing or other porous material imbedded in a porous host rock. Three factors that affect release performance are examined: 1) congruent dissolution of the UO2 matrix, 2) chemical instability of the UO2 matrix, with precipitation of a more stable uranium phase within the waste package, and 3) the attenuation of release rate by distribution of containment failures with time.For congruent matrix dissolution, the release rates of included nuclides are proportional to the product of solubility-limited release of uranium and the fractional abundance of the nuclide. For certain conditions, congruent release rates are calculated to be up to 10 orders of magnitude lower than release rates assuming individual solubility-limits. Precipitation of a more stable, lower solubility uranium phase within the waste package is shown to increase release rates from the UO2 matrix compared to the non-precipitation case, in agreement with previous calculations. During the first 300 to 1000 years after repository closure, the distribution of containment failures with time will act to attenuate the peak average release rates of soluble, longlived nuclides, such as iodine-129, to values smaller than release rates below regulatory limits. However, for soluble nuclides with short half-lives, such as cesium-137, a broader distribution of containment failure with constant mean time of failure can actually cause an increase In the peak average release rates.

scholarly journals Inverse modelling of the Chernobyl source term using atmospheric concentration and deposition measurements

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nikolaos Evangeliou ◽  
Thomas Hamburger ◽  
Anne Cozic ◽  
Yves Balkanski ◽  
Andreas Stohl
Keyword(s):  
Soviet Union ◽  
Former Soviet Union ◽  
Source Term ◽  
Main Direction ◽  
Inverse Modelling ◽  
Spent Fuel ◽  
Atmospheric Concentration ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Modelling Techniques

Abstract. The present paper describes the results of an inverse modelling study for the determination of the source term of the radionuclides 134Cs, 137Cs and 131I released after the Chernobyl accident. The accident occurred on 26 April 1986 in the Former Soviet Union and released about 1019 Bq of radioactive materials that were transported as far away as the USA and Japan. Thereafter, several attempts to assess the real magnitude of the emissions were made that were based on the knowledge of the core inventory and the levels of the spent fuel. More recently, when modelling tools were further developed, inverse modelling techniques were applied to the Chernobyl case for source term quantification. However, because radioactivity is a sensitive topic for the public and attracts a lot of attention, high quality measurements, that are essential for inverse modelling, were not made available except for a few sparse activity concentration measurements far from the source and far from the main direction of the radioactive fallout. For the first time, we apply Bayesian inversion of the Chernobyl source term using not only activity concentrations, but also deposition measurements from the most recent public dataset. These observations refer to a data rescue attempt that started more than 10 years ago, with a final goal to give such kind of measurements into anyone interested. As regards to our inverse modelling results, emissions of 134Cs were estimated to be 80 PBq or 30–50 % higher than what was previously published. From the released amount of 134Cs, about 70 PBq were deposited all over Europe. Similar to 134Cs, emissions of 137Cs were estimated as 86 PBq, in the same order with previously reported results. Finally, 131I emissions of 1365 PBq were found, which are about 10 % less than the prior total releases. The inversion pushes the injection heights of the three radionuclides to higher altitudes (up to about 3 km) than previously assumed (≈ 2.2 km) in order to better match both concentration and deposition observations over Europe. The results were of the present inversion were confirmed using an independent Eulerial model, for which deposition patterns were also improved when using the estimated posterior releases. Although the independent model tends to underestimate deposition in countries that are not in the main direction of the plume, it reproduces country levels of deposition very efficiently. The results were also tested for robustness against different set-ups of the inversion through sensitivity runs. The source term data from this study are made publically available.

A New Approach to the RN Source Term for Spent Nuclear Fuel under Geological Disposal Conditions

2000 ◽  
Vol 663 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christophe Poinssot ◽  
Christophe Jegou ◽  
Pierre Toulhoat ◽  
Jean-Paul Piron ◽  
Jean-Marie Gras
Keyword(s):  
Low Temperature ◽  
Closed System ◽  
Source Term ◽  
Spent Nuclear Fuel ◽  
Driving Forces ◽  
Spent Fuel ◽  
Microscopic Description ◽  
New Approach ◽  
Geological Disposal ◽  
Source Term Model

ABSTRACTUnder the geological disposal conditions, spent fuel (SF) is expected to evolve during the 10,000 years while being maintained isolated from the biosphere before coming in contact with water. Under these circumstances, several driving forces would lead to the progressive intrinsic transformations within the rod which would modify the subsequent release of radionuclides. The major mechanisms are the production of a significant volume of He within the UO2 lattice, the accumulation of irradiation defects due to the low temperature which avoids any annealing, the slow migration of radionuclides (RN) within the system by (i) the α self-irradiation-induced athermal diffusion and (ii) locally the building-up of internal mechanical stresses which could turn the pellets into powder. However, the current RN source terms for SF have never accounted for this evolution as they are based on existing knowledge of the fresh SF. Two major mechanisms were considered, the leaching of the readily available fraction (one which was supposed to be instantly accessible to water), and the release of RN through alteration of the UO2 grains. We are now proposing a new RN source term model based on a microscopic description of the system in order to also take account of the early evolution of the closed system, the amplitude of which increases with the burnup and is greater for MOX fuels.

scholarly journals Derivation of a Waste Package Source Term for NNWSI from the Results of Laboratory Experiments

1985 ◽  
Vol 50 ◽  
Author(s):  
Virginia M. Oversby ◽  
Charles N. Wilson
Keyword(s):  
Laboratory Experiments ◽  
Source Term ◽  
Yucca Mountain ◽  
Maximum Amount ◽  
Well Water ◽  
Pressurized Water Reactor ◽  
Spent Fuel ◽  
Pressurized Water ◽  
J 13 ◽  
Fractional Release

AbstractResults are presented for the dissolution of Turkey Point pressurized water reactor (PWR) spent fuel in J-13 well water at ambient hot cell temperatures. These results are compared with those previously obtained on Turkey Point fuel in deionized water, on H. B. Robinson PWR fuel in J-13 water, and by other workers using various fuels in dilute bicarbonate groundwaters. A model is presented that represents the conditions under which maximum dissolution of spent fuel could occur in a repository sited at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. Using an experimentally determined upper limit of 5 mg/l for uranium solubility in J-13 water, a fractional release rate of 6.4 × 10−8 per year is obtained by assuming that all water entering the repository carries away the maximum amount of uranium.

Release of 108Ag from Irradiated PWR Control Rod Absorbers under Deep Repository Conditions

2015 ◽  
Vol 1744 ◽  
pp. 217-222
Author(s):  
O. Roth ◽  
M. Granfors ◽  
A. Puranen ◽  
K. Spahiu
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Fuel ◽  
Source Term ◽  
Spent Nuclear Fuel ◽  
Nuclear Reactors ◽  
Reactor Irradiation ◽  
Spent Fuel ◽  
Control Rod ◽  
Potential Source ◽  
Absorber Material ◽  
Control Rods

ABSTRACTIn a future Swedish deep repository for spent nuclear fuel, irradiated control rods from PWR nuclear reactors are planned to be stored together with the spent fuel. The control rod absorber consists of an 80% Ag, 5% Cd, 15% In alloy with a steel cladding. Upon in-reactor irradiation 108Ag is produced by neutron capture. Release of 108Ag has been identified as a potential source term for release of radioactive substances from the deep repository.Under reducing deep repository conditions, the Ag corrosion rate is however expected to be low which would imply that the release rate of 108Ag should be low under these conditions. The aim of this study is to investigate the dissolution of PWR control rod absorber material under conditions relevant to a future deep repository for spent nuclear fuel. The experiments include tests using irradiated control rod absorber material from Ringhals 2, Sweden. Furthermore, un-irradiated control rod absorber alloy has been tested for comparison. The experiments indicate that the release of Ag from the alloy when exposed to water is strongly dependent on the redox conditions. Under aerated conditions Ag is released at a significant rate whereas no release could be measured after 133 days during leaching under H2.

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