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Title: Best Practices for Finite Element Analysis of Spent Nuclear Fuel Transfer, Storage, and Transportation Systems

Abstract

Storage casks and transportation packages for spent nuclear fuel (SNF) are designed to confine SNF in sealed canisters or casks, provide structural integrity during accidents, and remove decay through a storage or transportation overpack. The transfer, storage, and transportation of SNF in dry storage casks and transport packages is regulated under 10 CFR Part 72 and 10 CFR Part 71, respectively. Finite Element Analysis (FEA) is used with increasing frequency in Safety Analysis Reports and other regulatory technical evaluations related to SNF casks and packages and their associated systems. Advances in computing power have made increasingly sophisticated FEA models more feasible, and as a result, the need for careful review of such models has also increased. This paper identifies best practice recommendations that stem from recent NRC review experience. The scope covers issues common to all commercially available FEA software, and the recommendations are applicable to any FEA software package. Three specific topics are addressed: general FEA practices, issues specific to thermal analyses, and issues specific to structural analyses. General FEA practices covers appropriate documentation of the model and results, which is important for an efficient review process. The thermal analysis best practices are related to cask analysis for steadymore » state conditions and transient scenarios. The structural analysis best practices are related to the analysis of casks and associated payload during standard handling and drop scenarios. The best practices described in this paper are intended to identify FEA modeling issues and provide insights that can help minimize associated uncertainties and errors, in order to facilitate the NRC licensing review process.« less

Authors:
; ; ; ; ; ;
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE
OSTI Identifier:
1004507
Report Number(s):
PNNL-SA-73385
401001050; TRN: US1100685
DOE Contract Number:  
AC05-76RL01830
Resource Type:
Conference
Resource Relation:
Conference: Proceedings of the 51st Annual Meeting of the Institute of Nuclear Materials Management, July 11-15, 2010, Baltimore, Maryland
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; 32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION; ACCIDENTS; CASKS; CONTAINERS; DECAY; DOCUMENTATION; DRY STORAGE; LICENSING; NUCLEAR FUELS; NUCLEAR MATERIALS MANAGEMENT; RECOMMENDATIONS; SAFETY ANALYSIS; SIMULATION; STEADY-STATE CONDITIONS; STORAGE; THERMAL ANALYSIS; TRANSIENTS; TRANSPORT; TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS; FEA; Best Practices; SNF storage; SNF transportation

Citation Formats

Bajwa, Christopher S, Piotter, Jason, Cuta, Judith M, Adkins, Harold E, Klymyshyn, Nicholas A, Fort, James A, and Suffield, Sarah R. Best Practices for Finite Element Analysis of Spent Nuclear Fuel Transfer, Storage, and Transportation Systems. United States: N. p., 2010. Web.
Bajwa, Christopher S, Piotter, Jason, Cuta, Judith M, Adkins, Harold E, Klymyshyn, Nicholas A, Fort, James A, & Suffield, Sarah R. Best Practices for Finite Element Analysis of Spent Nuclear Fuel Transfer, Storage, and Transportation Systems. United States.
Bajwa, Christopher S, Piotter, Jason, Cuta, Judith M, Adkins, Harold E, Klymyshyn, Nicholas A, Fort, James A, and Suffield, Sarah R. 2010. "Best Practices for Finite Element Analysis of Spent Nuclear Fuel Transfer, Storage, and Transportation Systems". United States.
@article{osti_1004507,
title = {Best Practices for Finite Element Analysis of Spent Nuclear Fuel Transfer, Storage, and Transportation Systems},
author = {Bajwa, Christopher S and Piotter, Jason and Cuta, Judith M and Adkins, Harold E and Klymyshyn, Nicholas A and Fort, James A and Suffield, Sarah R},
abstractNote = {Storage casks and transportation packages for spent nuclear fuel (SNF) are designed to confine SNF in sealed canisters or casks, provide structural integrity during accidents, and remove decay through a storage or transportation overpack. The transfer, storage, and transportation of SNF in dry storage casks and transport packages is regulated under 10 CFR Part 72 and 10 CFR Part 71, respectively. Finite Element Analysis (FEA) is used with increasing frequency in Safety Analysis Reports and other regulatory technical evaluations related to SNF casks and packages and their associated systems. Advances in computing power have made increasingly sophisticated FEA models more feasible, and as a result, the need for careful review of such models has also increased. This paper identifies best practice recommendations that stem from recent NRC review experience. The scope covers issues common to all commercially available FEA software, and the recommendations are applicable to any FEA software package. Three specific topics are addressed: general FEA practices, issues specific to thermal analyses, and issues specific to structural analyses. General FEA practices covers appropriate documentation of the model and results, which is important for an efficient review process. The thermal analysis best practices are related to cask analysis for steady state conditions and transient scenarios. The structural analysis best practices are related to the analysis of casks and associated payload during standard handling and drop scenarios. The best practices described in this paper are intended to identify FEA modeling issues and provide insights that can help minimize associated uncertainties and errors, in order to facilitate the NRC licensing review process.},
doi = {},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1004507}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Wed Aug 11 00:00:00 EDT 2010},
month = {Wed Aug 11 00:00:00 EDT 2010}
}

Conference:
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