scholarly journals Radiation Effects on Materials Used in Geological Repositories for Spent Nuclear Fuel

2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mats Jonsson
Keyword(s):  
Ionizing Radiation ◽  
Nuclear Fuel ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Spent Nuclear Fuel ◽  
Safety Analysis ◽  
Nuclear Industry ◽  
Barrier Materials ◽  
Materials Used

Safe long-term storage of radioactive waste from nuclear power plants is one of the main concerns for the nuclear industry as well as for governments in countries relying on electricity produced by nuclear power. A repository for spent nuclear fuel must be safe for extremely long time periods (at least 100 000 years). In order to ascertain the long-term safety of a repository, extensive safety analysis must be performed. One of the critical issues in a safety analysis is the long-term integrity of the barrier materials used in the repository. Ionizing radiation from the spent nuclear constitutes one of the many parameters that need to be accounted for. In this paper, the effects of ionizing radiation on the integrity of different materials used in a granitic deep geological repository for spent nuclear fuel designed according to the Swedish KBS-3 model are discussed. The discussion is primarily focused on radiation-induced processes at the interface between groundwater and solid materials. The materials that are discussed are the spent nuclear fuel (based on UO2), the copper-covered iron canister, and bentonite clay. The latter two constitute the engineered barriers of the repository.

Simulation and Analysis: The Dose Distribution of KBS-3 Spent Nuclear Fuel Canister by MCNP

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bo Yang ◽  
He-xi Wu ◽  
Yi-bao Liu
Keyword(s):  
Cast Iron ◽  
Radioactive Waste ◽  
Nuclear Fuel ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Spent Nuclear Fuel ◽  
Ductile Cast Iron ◽  
Nuclear Industry ◽  
Spent Fuel ◽  
High Level

With the sustained and rapid development of the nuclear power plants, the spent fuel which is produced by the nuclear power plants will be rapidly rising. Spent fuel is High-level radioactive waste and should be disposed safely, which is important for the environment of land, public safety and health of the nuclear industry, the major issues of sustainable development and it is also necessary part for the nuclear industry activities. It is important to study and resolve the high-level radioactive waste repository problem. Spent nuclear fuel is an important component in the radioactive waste, The KBS-3 canister for geological disposal of spent nuclear fuel in Sweden consists of a ductile cast iron insert and a copper shielding. The ductile cast iron insert provides the mechanical strength whereas the copper protects the canister from corrosion. The canister inserts material were referred to as I24, I25 and I26, Spent nuclear fuel make the repository in high radiant intensity. The radiation analysis of canister insert is important in canister transport, the dose analysis of repository and groundwater radiolysis. Groundwater radiolysis, which produces oxidants (H2O2 and O2), will break the deep repository for spent nuclear fuel. The dose distribution of canister surface with different kinds of canister inserts (I24, I25 and I26) is calculated by MCNP (Ref. 1). Analysing the calculation results, we offer a reference for selecting canister inserts material.

Long-term safety of the extended SFR - Methodology and conclusions from the SR-PSU project

MRS Advances ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 1 (61) ◽  
pp. 4075-4080
Author(s):  
Fredrik Vahlund
Keyword(s):  
Radioactive Waste ◽  
Nuclear Fuel ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Safety Assessment ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Spent Nuclear Fuel ◽  
Surface System ◽  
Radiological Safety ◽  
The Impact

ABSTRACTSince 1988 the Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Co. operates a repository for low- and intermediate-level short-lived radioactive waste, SFR, in Forsmark, Sweden. Due to decommissioning of the nuclear power plants additional storage capacity is needed. In December 2014, an application to extend the repository was therefore submitted. One key component of this application was an assessment of post-closure safety of the extended SFR. For this safety assessment, a methodology based on that developed by SKB for the spent nuclear fuel repository was used and the impact of the degradation of repository components, the evolution of the surface system and changes of future climate on the radiological safety of the repository was assessed over a period of 100,000 years. The central conclusion of the SR-PSU safety assessment is that the extended SFR repository meets requirements on protection of human health and of the environment that have been established by the Swedish radiation safety authority for the final disposal of radioactive waste. Furthermore, the design of the repository was shown suitable for the waste selected and the applied methodology suitable for the safety assessment.

scholarly journals Prevention of Damage to Spent Nuclear Fuel during Handling Operations

2020 ◽  
pp. 62-71
Author(s):  
M. Sapon ◽  
O. Gorbachenko ◽  
S. Kondratyev ◽  
V. Krytskyy ◽  
V. Mayatsky ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Fuel ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Nuclear Power Plants ◽  
Spent Nuclear Fuel ◽  
Spent Fuel ◽  
Long Term Storage ◽  
Fuel Storage ◽  
Storage Facilities

According to regulatory requirements, when carrying out handling operations with spent nuclear fuel (SNF), prevention of damage to the spent fuel assemblies (SFA) and especially fuel elements shall be ensured. For this purpose, it is necessary to exclude the risk of SFA falling, SFA uncontrolled displacements, prevent mechanical influences on SFA, at which their damage is possible. Special requirements for handling equipment (in particular, cranes) to exclude these dangerous events, the requirements for equipment strength, resistance to external impacts, reliability, equipment design solutions, manufacturing quality are analyzed in this work. The requirements of Ukrainian and U.S. regulatory documents also are considered. The implementation of these requirements is considered on the example of handling equipment, in particular, spent nuclear fuel storage facilities. This issue is important in view of creation of new SNF storage facilities in Ukraine. These facilities include the storage facility (SFSF) for SNF from water moderated power reactors (WWER): a Сentralized SFSF for storing SNF of Rivne, Khmelnitsky and South-Ukraine Nuclear Power Plants (СSFSF), and SFSF for SNF from high-power channel reactors (RBMK): a dry type SFSF at Chornobyl nuclear power plant (ISF-2). After commissioning of these storage facilities, all spent nuclear fuel from Ukrainian nuclear power plants will be placed for long-term “dry” storage. The safety of handling operations with SNF during its preparation for long-term storage is an important factor.

scholarly journals The Advancement of Neutron Shielding Materials for the Storage of Spent Nuclear Fuel

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-13
Author(s):  
Xuelong Fu ◽  
Zhengbo Ji ◽  
Wei Lin ◽  
Yunfeng Yu ◽  
Tao Wu
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Fuel ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Spent Nuclear Fuel ◽  
Nuclear Industry ◽  
Fast Neutrons ◽  
Nuclear Facilities ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Neutron Shielding ◽  
Shielding Composites

With the development of nuclear industry, spent nuclear fuel (SNF) generated from nuclear power plants arouses people’s attention as a result of its high radioactivity, and how to guarantee the reliable operation of nuclear facilities and the staff’s safety occupies a crucial position. To avoid the lethal irradiation, a lot of functional neutron shielding composites have been developed to transform fast neutrons into thermal neutrons which can be absorbed with high macroscopic cross-sectional elements. Irradiation characteristics of nuclear industry have promoted the advancement of neutron shielding materials. Here, we review the latest neutron shielding materials for the storage of spent nuclear fuel containing additives such as boron carbide (B4C), boron nitride (BN), boric acid (H3BO3), and colemanite. Different types of neutron shielding materials, including metal matrix alloys, polymer composites, high density concrete, heavy metals, paraffin, and other neutron shielding composites with high macroscopic cross-sectional elements, arediscussed. The elemental composition, density, and thermal and mechanical properties of neutron shielding materials are also summarized and compared.

Transport of MOX Fuel: A Continuous Challenge

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Je´roˆme Galtier
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Fuel ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Spent Nuclear Fuel ◽  
Fuel Cycle ◽  
Nuclear Industry ◽  
Spent Fuel ◽  
Radioactive Materials ◽  
Mox Fuel ◽  
Increasing Demand

For 45 years TN International has been involved in the radioactive materials transportation field. Since the beginning the spent nuclear fuel transportation has been its core business. During all these years TN International, now part of AREVA, has been able to anticipate and fulfill the needs for new transport or storage casks designed to fit the nuclear industry evolutions. A whole fleet of casks able to transport all the materials of the nuclear fuel cycle has been developed. In this presentation we will focus on the casks used to transport the fresh and used MOX fuel. To transport the fresh MOX BWR and PWR fuel, TN International has developed two designs of casks: the MX 6 and the MX 8. These casks are and have been used to transport MOX fuel for French, German, Swiss and in a near future Japanese nuclear power plants. A complete set of baskets have been developed to optimize the loading in terms of integrated dose and also of course capacity. MOX used fuel has now its dedicated cask: the TN112 which certificate of approval has been obtained in July 2008. This cask is able to transport 12 MOX spent fuel elements with a short cooling time. The first loading of the cask has been performed in September 2008 in the EDF nuclear power plant of Saint-Laurent-des-Eaux. By its continuous involvement in the nuclear transportation field, TN International has been able to face the many challenges linked to the radioactive materials transportation especially talking of MOX fuel. TN International will also have to face the increasing demand linked to the nuclear renaissance.

Safety Aspects in Dry Storage of Spent Nuclear Fuel in Long Term Operation for Brazilian Nuclear Power Plants

2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (10) ◽  
pp. 1807-1816
Author(s):  
Claudir Jose Nodari ◽  
Pedro Luiz da Cruz Saladanha ◽  
Gladson Silva Fontes
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Fuel ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Nuclear Power Plants ◽  
Spent Nuclear Fuel ◽  
Term Operation ◽  
Dry Storage ◽  
Safety Aspects

scholarly journals Twenty years of research on spent nuclear fuel in the context of final disposal at KIT-INE in multinational collaborative projects

2021 ◽  
Vol 1 ◽  
pp. 237-238
Author(s):  
Michel Herm ◽  
Elke Bohnert ◽  
Luis Iglesias Pérez ◽  
Tobias König ◽  
Volker Metz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Fuel ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Spent Nuclear Fuel ◽  
Iron Corrosion ◽  
Reducing Conditions ◽  
Deep Geological Disposal ◽  
Preferential Option ◽  
Radionuclide Release

Abstract. Disposal of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) in deep geological repositories is considered a preferential option for the management of such wastes in many countries with nuclear power plants. With the aim to permanently and safely isolate the radionuclide inventory from the biosphere for a sufficient time, a multibarrier system consisting of technical, geotechnical and geological barriers is interposed between the emplaced waste and the environment. In safety assessments for deep underground repositories, access of water, followed by failure of canisters and finally loss of the cladding integrity is considered in the long-term. Hence, evaluating the performance of SNF in deep geological disposal systems requires process understanding of SNF dissolution and rates as well as quantification of radionuclides release from SNF under reducing conditions of a breached container. In order to derive a radionuclide source term, the SNF dissolution and alteration processes can be assigned to two steps: (i) instantaneous release of radionuclides upon cladding failure from gap and grain boundaries and (ii) a long-term release that results from dissolution of the fuel grains itself (Ewing, 2015). In this context, research at KIT-INE has focused for more than 20 years on the behavior of SNF (irradiated UO2 and MOX fuels) under geochemical conditions (pH, redox and ionic strength) representative of various repository concepts, including the interaction of SNF with backfill material, such as bentonite as well as the influence of iron corrosion products, e.g. magnetite and radiolytic reactions on SNF dissolution mechanisms. Since 2001, KIT-INE has contributed with experimental and theoretical studies on the behavior of SNF under repository relevant conditions to six Euratom projects viz SFS (2001–2004), NF-PRO (2004–2006), MICADO (2006–2009), RECOSY (2007–2011), FIRST-Nuclides (2012–2014) and DISCO (2016–2021). Moreover, since 2007, overall 4 consecutive projects for the Belgian waste management organization, ONDRAF-NIRAS, were performed on the behavior of SNF under conditions representative of the Belgian “Supercontainer” concept. In this contribution, we summarize major achievements of theses research projects to understand and quantify the radionuclide release from dissolving SNF under repository conditions. In particular, the dependence of radionuclide release on the chemical composition of the aqueous and gaseous phase in the proximity of repositories in different types of host rock is discussed.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document