Isotopic Generation and Confirmation of the PWR Application Model 

Technical Report · Tue Nov 04 00:00:00 EST 2003

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/899642· OSTI ID:899642

Wimmer, L. B. ^[1]

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1. Yucca Mountain Project, Las Vegas, NV (United States)

The objective of this calculation is to establish an isotopic database to represent commercial spent nuclear fuel (CSNF) from pressurized water reactors (PWRs) in criticality analyses performed for the proposed Monitored Geologic Repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. Confirmation of the conservatism with respect to criticality in the isotopic concentration values represented by this isotopic database is performed as described in Section 3.5.3.1.2 of the ''Disposal Criticality Analysis Methodology Topical Report'' (YMP 2000). The isotopic database consists of the set of 14 actinides and 15 fission products presented in Section 3.5.2.1.1 of YMP 2000 for use in CSNF burnup credit. This set of 29 isotopes is referred to as the principal isotopes. The oxygen isotope from the UO₂ fuel is also included in the database. The isotopic database covers enrichments of ²³⁵U ranging from 1.5 to 5.5 weight percent (wt%) and burnups ranging from approximately zero to 75 GWd per metric ton of uranium (mtU). The choice of fuel assembly and operating history values used in generating the isotopic database are provided is Section 5. Tables of isotopic concentrations for the 29 principal isotopes (plus oxygen) as a function of enrichment and burnup are provided in Section 6.1. Results of the confirmation of the conservatism with respect to criticality in the isotopic concentration values are provided in Section 6.2.

• Research Organization: Yucca Mountain Project, Las Vegas, NV (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)
• OSTI ID: 899642
• Report Number(s): CAL-DSU-NU-000004-Rev-00A; DOC.20031110.0003, DC# 35455; TRN: US0702318
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE WASTES, AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
ACTINIDES
BURNUP
CRITICALITY
FISSION PRODUCTS
METRICS
NUCLEAR FUELS
OXYGEN
OXYGEN ISOTOPES
PWR TYPE REACTORS
URANIUM
YUCCA MOUNTAIN
Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)
Criticality
Pressurized Water Reactors
PWR
Disposal Criticality Analysis
Methodology
Disposal
Metrics
Nuclear Fuels
Uranium
Uranium Isotopes
Oxygen Isotopes
Principal Isotopes
Yucca Mountain