Effect of Depleted-Uranium Dioxide Particulate Fill on Spent-Nuclear-Fuel Waste Packages
- Oak Ridge National Laboratory (United States)
The use of depleted uranium dioxide (DUO{sub 2}) particulates as fill material for repository waste packages (WPs) containing light-water reactor (LWR) spent nuclear fuel (SNF) was investigated. A repository WP would be loaded with SNF, and small DUO{sub 2} particulates (0.5 to 1.0 mm) would be added to fill the void space inside the WP - including the coolant channels inside SNF assemblies. The DUO{sub 2} fill slows release of radionuclides from the SNF by (a) creating a local chemically reducing environment that slows degradation of the SNF UO{sub 2} and (b) reducing groundwater flow through the WP. The depleted uranium (DU) fill minimizes the potential for long-term criticality in the repository by isotopic dilution of {sup 233}U and {sup 235}U. The potential for criticality is primarily determined by {sup 235}U (a) originally in the SNF and (b) from decay of {sup 239}Pu. The use of DU consumes excess DU from the production of enriched uranium. The mechanisms for improvements in repository performance with DUO{sub 2} fill are defined, but additional work is required to fully quantify the benefits and costs of such an approach.
- OSTI ID:
- 20822196
- Journal Information:
- Nuclear Technology, Journal Name: Nuclear Technology Journal Issue: 3 Vol. 131; ISSN 0029-5450; ISSN NUTYBB
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Depleted uranium oxides and silicates as spent nuclear fuel waste package fill materials
Description of the Canadian particulate-fill waste-package (WP) system for spent-nuclear fuel (SNF) and its applicability to light-water reactor SNF WPs with depleted uranium-dioxide fill