Shipment of spent fuel in storage canisters. Final report
- Pacific Nuclear Fuel Services, Inc., San Jose, CA (United States)
Spent fuel is being stored in canisters in Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installations(ISFSI) at two nuclear power plants. Canistered storage systems have been submitted to NRC for approval for ISFSI at four additional plants. It is desirable that the canisters be compatible with the requirements for shipment of spent fuel under 10CFR71. Compared to unloading the canisters and reloading fuel into a shipping cask, shipment of intact canisters offers the possibility of substantial savings to the utility of cost and occupational exposure. It also offers increased safety margins against radionuclide release during transport to the repository or the MRS. In order for a storage canister to be compatible with shipping regulations, it must be compatible with a licensed shipping cask. Although a suitable cask does not exist presently, a scoping analysis shows that it is feasible to design a rail cask that will accept the largest canister design now planned. To be shippable, the storage canister must be shown to retain its structural integrity during the storage term of at least 20 years. Of the potential damage mechanisms caused by prolonged storage in a high radiation field at moderately elevated temperature, only corrosion is of significant interest. It is found that the dry storage environment will prevent nucleation and growth of defects in stainless steels due to IGSCC, and that a properly selected and applied coating can provide general corrosion protection to carbon steel canisters. Economic and ALARA benefits to the utility of intact canister shipment include avoided costs of opening and downloading a canister and disposal of the canister. Benefits to the DOE include a faster turnaround time for the cask at the reactor since dewatering and decontamination of the cask are avoided.
- Research Organization:
- Electric Power Research Inst., Palo Alto, CA (United States); Pacific Nuclear Fuel Services, Inc., San Jose, CA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- Electric Power Research Inst., Palo Alto, CA (United States)
- OSTI ID:
- 10169642
- Report Number(s):
- EPRI-TR-102462; ON: UN93017440; TRN: 93:020988
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: PBD: Jun 1993
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
SPENT FUELS
SPENT FUEL STORAGE
CONTAINERS
REGULATIONS
SPENT FUEL CASKS
TRANSPORT
SAFETY
CORROSION
STAINLESS STEELS
ECONOMICS
COST
RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL
RADIOACTIVITY TRANSPORT
420203
050900
052002
HANDLING EQUIPMENT AND PROCEDURES
TRANSPORT, HANDLING, AND STORAGE
WASTE DISPOSAL AND STORAGE