Long-Term Waste Package Degradation Studies at the Yucca Mountain Potential High-Level Nuclear Waste Repository

Conference · Tue Feb 26 00:00:00 EST 2002

OSTI ID:832703

Mon, K G; Bullard, B E; Longsine, D E; Mehta, S; Lee, J H; Monib, A M

The Site Recommendation (SR) process for the potential repository for spent nuclear fuel (SNF) and high-level nuclear waste (HLW) at Yucca Mountain, Nevada is underway. Fulfillment of the requirements for substantially complete containment of the radioactive waste emplaced in the potential repository and subsequent slow release of radionuclides from the Engineered Barrier System (EBS) into the geosphere will rely on a robust waste container design, among other EBS components. Part of the SR process involves sensitivity studies aimed at elucidating which model parameters contribute most to the drip shield and waste package degradation characteristics. The model parameters identified included (a) general corrosion rate model parameters (temperature-dependence and uncertainty treatment), and (b) stress corrosion cracking (SCC) model parameters (uncertainty treatment of stress and stress intensity factor profiles in the Alloy 22 waste package outer barrier closure weld regions, the SCC initiation stress threshold, and the fraction of manufacturing flaws oriented favorably for through-wall penetration by SCC). These model parameters were reevaluated and new distributions were generated. Also, early waste package failures due to improper heat treatment were added to the waste package degradation model. The results of these investigations indicate that the waste package failure profiles are governed by the manufacturing flaw orientation model parameters and models used.

• Research Organization: Mon, B.E. Bullard, D.E. Longsine, S. Mehta Duke Engineering & Services 1180 Town Center Drive, Las Vegas, Nevada (US); Sandia National Laboratories 1180 Town Center Drive, Las Vegas, Nevada; Bechtel SAIC Company, LLC 1180 Town Center Drive, Las Vegas, Nevada (US)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management (RW) (US)
• DOE Contract Number: AC08-01RW12101
• OSTI ID: 832703
• Resource Relation: Conference: Waste Management 2002 Symposium, Tucson, AZ (US), 02/24/2002--02/28/2002; Other Information: PBD: 26 Feb 2002
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE WASTES, AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
ALLOYS
CONTAINERS
CONTAINMENT
CORROSION
DEFECTS
HEAT TREATMENTS
MANUFACTURING
NUCLEAR FUELS
ORIENTATION
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
RADIOISOTOPES
SHIELDS
STRESS CORROSION
STRESS INTENSITY FACTORS
TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE
WASTE MANAGEMENT
YUCCA MOUNTAIN