Simulations of Pipe Overpack Container Compaction at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant
- Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
The Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) is an operating geologic repository in southeastern New Mexico for transuranic (TRU) waste from nuclear defense activities. Past nuclear criticality concerns have generally been low at the WIPP due to the low initial concentration of fissile material and the natural tendency of fissile solute to disperse during fluid transport in porous media (Rechard et al. 2000). On the other hand, the list of acceptable WIPP waste types has expanded over the years to include Criticality Control Overpack (CCO) containers and Pipe Overpack (POP) containers. Containers bound for WIPP are bundled together in hexagon shaped 7-packs (six containers surround one container in the center). Two 7-packs are often combined into a TRUPACT-II package for a total of 14 containers. Most TRUPACT-II packages are restricted to a maximum fissile mass equivalent to plutonium (FMEP) between 0.1 and 0.38 kg, but a CCO TRUPACT-II package and a POP TRUPACT-II package are respectively permitted to have 5.32 kg and 2.80 kg FMEP (see Section 3 of US DOE (2013)). Consequently, CCO container criticality after emplacement at the WIPP was evaluated in Saylor and Scaglione (2018), and Oak Ridge National Laboratories is currently at work on POP container criticality analyses.
- Research Organization:
- Sandia National Laboratories (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC04-94AL85000
- OSTI ID:
- 1570309
- Report Number(s):
- SAND--2019-12111; 680127
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Post-closure Nuclear Criticality Safety Evaluations for Disposition of Criticality Control Overpacks at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant
DEVELOPMENT OF THE TRU WASTE TRANSPORTATION FLEET--A SUCCESS STORY
Testing in support of transportation of residues in the pipe overpack container
Technical Report
·
Mon Jan 31 23:00:00 EST 2022
·
OSTI ID:1845805
DEVELOPMENT OF THE TRU WASTE TRANSPORTATION FLEET--A SUCCESS STORY
Conference
·
Wed Feb 26 23:00:00 EST 2003
·
OSTI ID:826249
Testing in support of transportation of residues in the pipe overpack container
Technical Report
·
Mon Mar 31 23:00:00 EST 1997
·
OSTI ID:481574